Rep. Peter Welch is backing legislation to prohibit the sale of devices that turn semi-automatic rifles into weapons that allow shooters to fire hundreds of rounds per minute.
It's believed that the killer in the Las Vegas shootings used several of these devices.
Federal law strictly regulate automatic weapons, such as machine guns. But there are devices for sale legally known as "bump stocks" that convert a semi-automatic rifle into a weapon that functions like an automatic firearm.
Welch says it should be illegal to sell these devices.
"What you are doing is taking a rifle and turning it into a military assault weapon,” said Welch. “ So I would favor banning those."
Welch is also supporting a plan to require background checks for all gun sales including private transactions.
"That seems like the most fundamental step that we could take," said Welch.
Both Sens. Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders also back efforts to outlaw the sale of bump stocks and they support the background check proposal.
