Washington, DC – The U.S. Senate will vote on a measure to extend the ban on military-style assault weapons next Tuesday, March 2, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today announced.

The bipartisan legislation, sponsored by Senators Dianne Feinstein, John W. Warner (R-VA), Charles Schumer (D-NY), would extend the current ban on the manufacture and importation of 19 types of assault weapons (and many other by characteristic) by an additional 10 years. Unless Congress acts, the ban will expire on September 13, 2004.

“Assault weapons simply have no place on the streets of America,” Senator Feinstein said. “They are weapons of war. Their purpose is to kill the greatest number of people in the shortest time possible – we saw this at Columbine, 101 California, and so many other tragic incidents.” 

“Over the past 10 years, however, the assault weapons ban has worked. It has dried up the supply of these weapons, and their use in crime has dropped by two-thirds. It would be a grave mistake to allow these weapons to once again flood our cities' streets.” 

“Parents, teachers, physicians, ministers, community leaders – all those who care about this issue -- should call their senators and let them know that the time is now to reauthorize the assault weapons ban.” 

Extension of the assault weapons ban enjoys broad support: 

•  President Bush supports the extension of the ban : In April 2003, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said of the assault weapons ban, "The president supports the current law, and he supports reauthorization of the current law."

•  Extension of the ban is widely supported by gun owning and non-gun owning voters.   According to an October poll (sample size – 800) conducted for Americans for Gun Safety by Mark Penn, voters support renewing the ban by a margin of 77-21% (66-32% among voters who own guns).

  Law enforcement organizations support the extension:

•  Fraternal Order of Police
•  International Association of Chiefs of Police
•  The Major City Chiefs
•  The National Association of Police Organizations
•  The National Organization of Black Police Officials, the International Brotherhood of Police Officers
•  The Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association
•  The American Probation and Parole Association.

  The ban also has broad support in the community:

•  National League of Cities
•  US Conference of Mayors
•  National Association of Counties
•  US Conference of Catholic Bishops
•  National Education Association
•  American Bar Association
•  NAACP
•  Americans for Gun Safety
•  Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence United with the Million Mom March
•  Church Women United
•  Episcopal Church, USA
•  American Academy of Family Physicians
•  American Public Health Association
•  Family Violence Prevention Fund
•  National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
•  National Network to End Domestic Violence
•  National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems
•  National Association of Social Workers
•  Physicians for A Violence Free Society
•  American Association of Suicidology
•  Mothers Against Violence in America
•  Child Welfare League of America
•  Alliance for Justice

Legislation to reauthorize the assault weapons ban is cosponsored by Senators Mike DeWine (R-OH), Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Carl Levin (D-MI), Christopher Dodd (D-CT), James Jeffords (I-VT), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Jack Reed (D-RI), Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD).