Senate votes to extend assault weapons ban

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Senate votes to extend assault weapons ban

http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=1682173 & nav=1ugFLEBL

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate voted Tuesday to extend for another decade a ban on military-style assault weapons, giving Democrats a rare victory on gun legislation that would also deny crime victims the ability to sue gunmakers and dealers.

Democratic presidential contenders John Kerry of Massachusetts and John Edwards of North Carolina broke away from the Super Tuesday campaign trail to cast the decisive votes in the 52-47 roll call.

The White House had preferred the assault weapons ban be kept off the legislation immunizing the gun industry from liability suits, the National Rifle Association's top priority this year.

"The semiautomatic ban, the gun show loophole, a variety of other kinds of issues could simply drag this bill down and deny us substantial tort reform," said Republican Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho, the bill's main sponsor who plans to vote against both measures.

House leaders said last year that they did not intend to renew the ban on the manufacture and importation of at least 19 types of common military-style assault weapons. Senate GOP leaders also argued against the ban, saying it was ineffective and unnecessary and could cause the House to kill the gunmaker immunity bill.

But with the help of a few Senate Republicans, including Senate Armed Services Chairman John Warner of Virginia, Democrats were able to get enough votes to approve the ban extension.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. .)

 

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