Rep. Cleaver Votes for Assault Weapons Ban to Protect Missouri Communities from Gun Violence

July 30, 2022
Press Release

(Washington, D.C.) – Last night, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) voted in favor of H.R. 1808, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022, to protect communities in Missouri from mass shootings that have devastated communities like Sandy Hook, Uvalde, Las Vegas, Parkland, El Paso, Orlando, and countless others. Similar to the assault weapons ban enacted in 1994, which lasted for a decade and led to a significant decline in mass shootings, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 would prohibit the sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of semiautomatic assault weapons and high capacity magazines. Congressman Cleaver was a cosponsor of the legislation, which will now go to the Senate for debate.

"Assault weapons are weapons of war that were specifically designed to kill human beings—and more must be done to keep these human killing machines off the street," said Congressman Cleaver. "We have seen countless examples of individuals legally obtaining assault weapons, who then go on to inflict unthinkable death and destruction in communities across the nation. We've also seen the substantial decline in mass shootings that come with an assault weapons ban, and it is way past time that Congress reinstituted this commonsense policy. While the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was a critical step in the right direction to combat the scourge of gun violence plaguing our nation, we can do more to save lives and protect our communities. That's what the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 will do."

With eight of the ten deadliest mass shootings in recent American history involving an assault weapon, these firearms have clearly become the weapon of choice for mass shooters, as they are designed to kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, when assault weapons are used in a mass shooting, six times as many people are shot. Additionally, researchers estimate that a federal assault weapons ban would cut down on mass shooting deaths by as much as 70 percent.

To cut down on gun violence in communities across the country, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 would:

  • Prohibit the sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices, subject to grandfathering provisions and other exceptions;
  • Define semiautomatic assault weapons to include
    • Rifles, shotguns, and pistols that (1) are semiautomatic, (2) can accept a detachable ammunition feeding device, and (3) have at least one additional listed feature that make firearms especially deadly, including military features identified in ATF reports under the Bush and Clinton administrations;
  • Allow the possession of any semiautomatic assault weapon lawfully possessed on the date of the enactment;
  • Allow the sale or transfer of any semiautomatic assault weapon lawfully possessed on the date of enactment following a background check;
  • Require that semiautomatic assault weapons be securely stored so that they are not accessible to those who are prohibited from possessing them;
  • Allow states to use the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant funds for voluntary buyback programs for semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity magazines;
  • Protect the rights of hunters, gun collectors, farmers, sport shooters, and those who use firearms for self-defense through exemptions for grandfathered weapons, antiques, most manually operated firearms, and more than 2,200 listed firearms that are not affected by this prohibition; and
  • Exempt the use of semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices for specific uses such as law enforcement (including retired service weapons), nuclear security, testing authorized by the Attorney General, and temporary transfers without a background check or target shooting at a licensed target facility or established range.

Official text of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 is available here.

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee; Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development, and Insurance; member of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress; member of the Committee on Homeland Security; and a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. A high-resolution photo of Congressman Cleaver is available here.