McCarthy to Present Bill Banning High Capacity Ammo Clips

, D-Mineola, joined anti-gun violence advocates on Tuesday to introduce a bill against large capacity ammunition feeding devices.

McCarthy acknowledged in an interview with Patch last week that this new legislation won't change much in her district – or New York State for that matter – as there is already a ban against large capacity clips in the state as part of its assault weapons ban.

"With gangs, that certainly is a choice of a gun with a large amount of clips," McCarthy said.

There was previously legislation on the books that prevented large magazine clips such as the ones that McCarthy is now trying to ban, but it was never re-signed under President George W. Bush in 2004, McCarthy explained.

The bill would limit the number of rounds in a clip to 10, the same standard in use by four states: New York, Massachusetts, California and Hawaii.

In her letter to her colleagues, McCarthy explains her bill saying, "The legislation that I will be introducing will prohibit the transfer, importation, or possession of high capacity magazines manufactured after the bill is enacted. Many of these devices exist currently and it would be impractical and unwise to attempt to ban their possession – criminalizing individuals who purchased the device legally. Instead, the bill will prohibit the transfer of those devices currently in existence."

McCarthy sees no practical use for having large magazine clips such as the one used in the Arizona shooting of U.S. Rep Gabrielle Giffords.

"The only purpose for the existence of these devices is to be able to shoot as many people as possible as quickly as possible," McCarthy said in the letter.

McCarthy told Patch she hopes the families affected by the Arizona shooting will "feel that something is being done to hopefully prevent it from ever happening to any other family."

McCarthy has taken on the issue of gun safety since she was elected into office after her husband was killed and her son was injured on the Long Island Rail Road in 1993. Though McCarthy notes that this new legislation she's introduced would not have prevented an incident like the Arizona shooting or even the shooting on the Long Island Rail Road, it could potentially lessen the number of fatalities and injuries from guns.

"It wouldn’t have probably helped my husband, my son and those that were in the beginning of the car, but it certainly would have saved lives and injuries toward the other end of the car," she said.

McCarthy is going to be facing an uphill fight with opposition coming from the National Rifle Association and Republicans.

"Anything that has to do with guns and anything that has to do with what they call gun control and I call it gun safety, it’s always been a battle," McCarthy said. "The Supreme Court also said that municipalities and states have the right to pass laws to be able to protect their citizens and I think this is a case where that particular ruling fits in with trying to ban these large capacity clips."

McCarthy said she is going member by member and has already met with Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, Calif., and was planning to speak to new House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.