Two Democratic lawmakers formally introduced an assault weapons ban in the House on Monday, The Hill reports.
But the bill from Reps. David Cicilline, D-R.I., and Ted Deutch, D-Fla., is likely to face strong opposition from Republicans and President Donald Trump, and a well-financed lobbying effort from the National Rifle Association.
The Hill quoted a White House spokesman as saying Trump's opposition to banning assault weapons "hasn't changed" despite the deadly Florida high school shooting 12 days ago.
The Assault Weapons Ban of 2018 was put in the hopper less than two weeks after 19-year-old suspected gunman Nikolas Cruz slaughtered 17 people inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
The bill would make it "unlawful for a person to import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, a semiautomatic assault weapon."
But "lawfully possessed" semi-automatics purchased before the measure took effect would be grandfathered in.
Police say Cruz used an AR-15 assault rifle, one of the many automatic firearms that would be banned under the bill, which also would require the attorney general to keep a record of semi-automatic assault weapons linked to crimes.
A previous semi-automatic weapons ban expired in 2004.
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