Buckeye Reporter

Vice President Kamala Harris recently called for the renewal of the assault weapons ban, posting on X, “Congress must renew the assault weapons ban.” This demand aligns with ongoing efforts by gun control advocates to restrict modern sporting rifles (MSRs), such as AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles. Despite these efforts, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that the expired 1994 ban did not reduce crime, and ownership of MSRs has surged.

In a recent congressional hearing, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) made comments that inadvertently acknowledged the commonality of MSRs. During her questioning of former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle about an attempted assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, Ocasio-Cortez referred to AR-15s as “one of the most popular semi-automatic weapons in the United States” and used the term “common” in her remarks.

The Supreme Court's 2008 Heller decision stated that commonly owned firearms cannot be banned from legal sale and possession by law-abiding citizens. This decision has been cited by gun rights advocates to argue against bans on MSRs. Recent data from NSSF shows over 28.1 million MSRs are currently in circulation in the United States.

Additionally, Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissenting opinion in a recent Supreme Court case recognized semi-automatic rifles as increasingly ubiquitous. Tom Knighton of Bearing Arms highlighted this acknowledgment as significant for gun rights advocates.

The Supreme Court recently decided not to take up a challenge to Illinois' "assault weapon" ban law at this stage but may review it after final judgment. With Election Day approaching, Vice President Harris's stance on stricter gun control could influence firearm sales and voter turnout among Second Amendment advocates.