House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday that Congress must weigh banning “bump stocks,” devices that accelerate the firing power of semi-automatic weapons and were used in the Las Vegas shooting that left 59 people dead on Sunday.
“Fully automatic weapons have been outlawed for many years,” Ryan, R-Wis., told reporters at a press conference at a factory in Maryland’s Eastern Shore. “This seems to be going around that, so we need to look at tightening up this requirement so we are in compliance with the law.”
Ryan said lawmakers need to learn more about the devices. Many of them did not know they existed until early this week when police said the Las Vegas shooter used them to make his guns operate like automatic weapons.
“The point is, we all have to get more educated as to what they are and how they became available in the first place,” Ryan said. “Was it a regulatory misstep by the [Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives]? We all know and fully believe automatic weapons should be illegal. Are there gaps that need to be closed and how do we do it?
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has introduced a bill to ban bump stocks and many Republicans are backing it. In a rare move, the National Rifle Association also said Thursday that bump stocks should be subject to additional regulation.
