Washington (July 29, 2021) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) sponsors of the Gun Violence Prevention Research Act, today applauded the inclusion of $50 million for gun violence research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations legislation, which passed the House today as part of H.R. 4502, FY 2022 Appropriations Minibus.
“If we want to stop this wave of gun violence, we need better information about what is causing it and what can be done to prevent it. Today’s passage of $50 million in gun violence research will help give the medical, scientific, and public health community the resources they need. We must turn that data into meaningful, life-saving gun violence prevention measures,” said Senator Markey.
“We need to treat gun violence as the public health crisis it is – and that means funding research so that we can create evidence-based policy solutions to combat gun violence and prevent thousands of senseless deaths every year. With gun deaths and gun sales surging in 2020, the need to act is more important than ever. We know of the commonsense solutions like the need for better and more robust background checks and the need to renew the assault weapons ban, but we must also seek other solutions,” said Congresswoman Maloney.
Background
Senator Markey and Congresswoman Maloney introduced the Gun Violence Prevention Research Act on February 4, 2021. The legislation would authorize $50 million in funding each fiscal year for the next five years at the CDC to study gun violence.
Gun safety groups endorsing the legislation include: Stop Hand Gun Violence, March for Our Lives, Brady: United Against Gun Violence, Everytown for Gun Safety, CeaseFire PA, North Carolinians Against Gun Violence, States United to Prevent Gun Violence, States United to Prevent Gun Violence, Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence, Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence, Women Against Gun Violence (CA), Arizonans for Gun Safety, Iowans for Gun Safety, Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence, Michigan Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, Colorado Ceasefire, Gun Sense NH, a project of Granite State Progress, Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah, MOKS Grandparents Against Gun Violence, Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, Safe Tennessee Project, Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort Educational Fund, and Women Against Gun Violence.
