Senate Democrats Cave And Drop Assault Weapons Ban From Major Gun Legislation - For Now
While this doesn't mean that the ban – which would make it illegal to purchase a set of firearms deemed by regulators as "assault weapons" — is off the table permanently, the measure won't be included in a major reform package that is expected to reach the Senate floor next month.
Possibly contributing to the removal of the ban is the political liability the bill would pose for a number of Senate Democrats in the 2014 midterm elections. Some Democrats have also expressed reluctance that including the assault weapons ban would doom the rest of the comprehensive package.
It's unlikely that a ban on assault weapons would have any chance of passage in the GOP-controlled House of Representatives, potentially causing a "poison pill" for comprehensive gun control reform.
Three other gun control measure were approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee this month, including an expansion of federal background checks for gun buyers, increased penalties for gun trafficking, and an increase to school safety money.