TOMS RIVER, NJ – New Jersey Congressman Andy Kim was one of the key supporters of the failed 2022 federal assault weapon ban. Today, in light of a mass shooting in Maine, Kim hinted that he’s ready to go back to the drawing board in Congress to ban assault weapons and standard capacity magazines, typically referred to in politics as ‘high capacity magazines’
“We are facing an epidemic of gun violence, and no part of America is immune to tragedy,” Kim said of that ban. “Responsible gun owners, hunters, and collectors have many other options.”
Had it passed, Kim’s Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 would have banned selling and possessing high-capacity (standard capacity) magazines and assault-style weapons and features. This legislation was based on the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban, which was in place for ten years before it was allowed to lapse in 2004.
“Dozens of families’ worlds were shattered last night in Lewiston. Many had a loved one ripped away from them instantly. We mourn with these families as we did for the long list of others that were let down by our nation’s failure to address the carnage of gun violence,” he tweeted today.
Kim is currently campaigning to challenge U.S. Senator Robert Menendez in the 2024 Democrat primary. One of Kim’s key staffers’ Ben Giovine, is running for mayor of Toms River, New Jersey’s 8th largest city. Giovine also supports Kim’s stance on assault weapons, which would ban the sale of most semi-automatic firearms in New Jersey.