“The problem of criminals breaking the law to acquire firearms and illegally smuggling them across the border is not remedied by legislation that would violate the rights of Americans to own semi-automatic firearms,” said Steve Sanetti, president of NSSF. “These types of firearms, which are erroneously called ‘assault weapons,’ are used by millions of Americans for hunting, sporting, and personal defense purposes. We can only conclude that certain officials are waiting for any politically advantageous excuse to announce the intention to seek a new ban on sporting rifles, a ban that would break the president’s campaign promise to gun owners that ‘I’m not going to take away your guns.’”

Studies show that the ban against sporting firearms, known as the Assault Weapons Ban, which was in place from 1994 to 2004, did not reduce crime. Nor has there been an increase in crime involving these types of firearms since Congress allowed the ban to expire. Since the election last November, gun owners have feared the Obama Administration would seek legislation that would infringe on their Second Amendment rights.

Then, in a mid-March letter to Holder, 65 House Democrats said they would oppose any attempt by the Obama administration to revive a ban on commonly owned semi-automatic firearms and ammunition magazines that President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1994 and Congress let expire in 2004. The group, led by Mike Ross (D-AR), said they would “actively oppose any effort to reinstate the 1994 ban or to pass any similar law,” citing numerous studies proving the 1994 ban’s effectiveness at preventing crime and instead urged Holder to enforce existing gun laws.

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