New York Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer Sunday released a letter he sent out to major retailers asking them to quit selling assault weapons while Congress discusses gun regulation legislation.
Schumer said demand for guns has gone up in the weeks since the December shootings in Newtown, Conn. Even if Congress does pass measures that limit assault weapons, Schumer said, it won't help matters if more of them have recently been sold,
CBS News reports.
Vice-President Joe Biden, who has been holding meetings with experts on both sides of the gun control debate, is expected this week to give President Barack Obama – who has made gun control legislation a priority in his second term – a package of recommendations for curbing gun violence.
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Meanwhile, Schumer told the New York Daily News he was writing letters to the CEOs of Walmart, the Sports Authority, Gander Mountain and four other national chains to tell them their outlets are putting people's lives in danger.
“We have no idea how many people [buying the guns] are mentally ill, or how many are felons,” he said. “If Congress passes measures to reduce availability of these weapons, those efforts could be undermined by the purchase of thousands of weapons before then.”
Schumer said he wants his moratorium on assault rifles and high-capacity clips to last as long as it takes to pass legislation, including through “Gun Appreciation Day,” a “holiday” set for Jan. 19 by gun owners who want as many weapons as possible that day to protest the possibility of gun control laws.
The New York senator acknowledged that Walmart in particular has rejected previous calls for gun restrictions, and urged citizens to call their local stores.
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