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Calling on and urging the 108th United States Congress, the Senatorial and Congressional representatives of the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to move forthwith to enact, for the President of the United States to sign, legislation that would reauthorize, strengthen and make permanent the current ten year federal ban on military-style assault weapons that is set to expire in September 2004.
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WHEREAS, The federal assault weapons ban - prohibiting the sale and manufacture of certain military-style weapons and ammunition clips - was passed by Congress as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, and was signed into law by President Clinton on September 13, 1994; and
WHEREAS, Military-style assault weapons are guns designed and manufactured for the sole purpose of killing the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time possible, and are the guns of choice for criminals, enabling them to commit some of America’s deadliest crimes — including bank robberies, drug and gangland warfare, schoolyard massacres, serial sniper attacks, and police ambushes; and
WHEREAS, The safety of America’s law enforcement officers is significantly threatened by military-style assault weapons, because they have been used to slay at least one in five officers acting in the line of duty between 1998 and 2001, according to FBI statistics, and reauthorization is supported by every major law enforcement organization in the United States; and
WHEREAS, A recent study by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence shows that the assault weapons specifically banned in the Enforcement Act have decreased in overall crime gun traces by 66 percent since the statute was enacted; and
WHEREAS, The United States Congress in 1994, recognized the grave threat to public and law enforcement safety posed by the unrestricted availability of military-style assault weapons, banned the manufacture and sale of specific models of assault weapons; and
WHEREAS, Since 1994 many gun manufacturers and international terrorist organizations have ignored the letter and spirit of the law by manufacturing “copycat” guns that are nearly identical to those banned but for minor and minimal cosmetic or name changes; and
WHEREAS, The 1994 high capacity magazine ban did not apply to foreign magazines, and between September of 1994 and December of 2000, 47.3 million large magazines were approved for importation for civilian use from 50 different countries; and
WHEREAS, In 1993 the City Council of Philadelphia found that the use of offensive, military-style weapons, as implements of serious crime, in Philadelphia presented an increasing danger and threat to the safety and welfare of its citizens and law enforcement officers; and
WHEREAS, In 1993 the City Council of Philadelphia found that it would be critically important and useful for law enforcement purposes to enhance the prohibition of certain military-style assault weapons by making their possession, manufacture, transfer, delivery, sale and use a violation of The Philadelphia Code; and
WHEREAS, The federal courts and U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft have declared the federal assault weapons ban to be constitutional and in no way an infringement on the Second Amendment and the federal ban does not affect firearms designed for hunting or other legitimate sporting uses; and
WHEREAS, The federal ban on military-style assault weapons, which was enacted on September 13, 1994, contained a sunset provision providing for the automatic repeal of the ban ten years following that date; and
WHEREAS, The City Council of Philadelphia, taking into account the paramount interests of the general public safety and welfare of its citizens, finds that military-style assault weapons should be completely and permanently eliminated from our City, our Commonwealth and our Country; now therefore
RESOLVED, That the Council of the City of Philadelphia calls on and urges the 108th United States Congress, the Senatorial and Congressional representatives of the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to move forthwith to enact, for the President of the United States to sign, legislation that would reauthorize, strengthen and make permanent the current ten year federal ban on military-style assault weapons that is set to expire in September 2004.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That Engrossed copies of this resolution be presented to the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States, both U.S. Senators of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Congressional delegation of the City of Philadelphia with facsimile copies being forwarded to all Commonwealth representatives as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.
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