Bill Clinton calls for reinstatement of assault weapons ban: ‘How many more people have to die?’

Former President Clinton called Monday for lawmakers to reinstate a ban on assault weapons in the wake of the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, over the weekend that killed more than 30 people.

“How many more people have to die before we reinstate the assault weapons ban & the limit on high-capacity magazines & pass universal background checks?” the former president tweeted.

How many more people have to die before we reinstate the assault weapons ban & the limit on high-capacity magazines & pass universal background checks? After they passed in 1994, there was a big drop in mass shooting deaths. When the ban expired, they rose again. We must act now.

— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) August 5, 2019

{mosads}A bill banning assault weapons was introduced in the GOP-controlled Senate in January, although it has not been brought up for a vote.

In March, the Trump administration banned “bump stocks,” attachments that could allow semiautomatic weapons to work like automatic weapons. Bump stocks had gotten increased scrutiny after the mass shooting in Las Vegas, which left nearly 60 people dead.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for Congress to take action following the back-to-back shootings over the weekend. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for not calling a senate vote on a background check gun safety bill the House passed in February. 

Sens. Pat Toomy (R-Pa.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) also discussed their bipartisan background check legislation with President Trump Monday and said the president “showed a willingness to work” with the lawmakers.

In a 10-minute televised speech on the shootings on Monday, Trump did not indicate support for a weapons ban, but earlier in the day he did back “strong background checks.”