N.J. senators in new push to ban assault weapons after Las Vegas and Texas shootings

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez, who participated in a Senate filibuster last year to demand action on gun safety measures, joined 20 of their colleagues in introducing legislation to ban military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

The Democratic senators acted following the killing of 26 people on Sunday at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and 58 people at a concert in Las Vegas last month. Both shooters used semiautomatic rifles.

"There is absolutely no reason military-style weapons intended for the battlefield should be allowed in our communities -- and there are many reasons they must not be," said Booker, D-N.J.

The measure spells out 205 military-style assault weapons that could no longer be sold or produced. It also bans any magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition, as well as devices such as bump stocks that allow semiautomatic rifles to act as automatic rifles.

Owners could keep existing weapons and magazines.

The bill also specifically exempts more than 2,200 weapons used for hunting, recreation or defense.

The measure has little chance of becoming law as President Donald Trump and congressional Republican leaders have opposed any efforts to limit the sale of weapons.

On the contrary, congressional Republicans have voted to repeal regulations designed to keep weapons out of the hands of those with mental problems.

A House committee also voted to make it easier to buy gun silencers and armor-piercing bullets, and lawmakers are considering legislation that would override states like New Jersey that do not honor concealed carry permits from other states.

The National Rifle Association, the powerful gun-rights lobby, spent more money on politics in 2016 than any other interest group, $55 million in independent expenditures, political action committee contributions and communications with its members. according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based research group.

Almost all of that money went to support Trump and other Republicans.

"After two of the largest mass shootings in American history occurred less than six weeks apart, I hope my Republican colleagues put the safety of America's men, women and children ahead of the donations and influence of the NRA," said Menendez, D-N.J.

The bill's sponsors include the party's leaders in the Senate, including Chuck Schumer of New York, Richard Durbin of Illinois and Patty Murray of Washington; and several potential 2020 presidential candidates including Booker, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California.

Another potential 2020 candidate, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was not listed in the release but is, in fact, a co-sponsor of the legislation.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.