GOP Rep. Pete King Is First Republican to Back Assault Weapons Ban Bill

Congressman Pete King, R-N.Y., said Monday he is backing a bill in the House to ban assault weapons because he does not “see any need for them in everyday society.” King told the New York Daily News “They are weapons of mass slaughter,” after he became the first GOP representative to back the measure first rolled out in February by Congressman David Cicilline, D-R.I. The bill has 200 Democratic co-sponsors and seeks to ban semi-automatic firearms and large-capacity magazines. The measure has drawn renewed attention after the shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio earlier this month. King had been in favor of background checks for gun purchases, but the back-to-back shootings, which left 32 dead and dozens injured, pushed him to back the assault weapon bill. But even if the bill passes the House, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said he will not bring the legislation to the Senate, and President Donald Trump says he opposes the bill.