Rep. Maloney: CDC youth violence prevention report shows urgent need for federally-funded gun violence research

Jun 16, 2014
Press Release

Press Contact: Mike Morosi (202) 225-7944

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) released the following statement in reaction to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s report entitled “Preventing Youth Violence: Opportunities for Action.”

“The CDC just released a report on youth violence. It found that the leading cause of death for young people in America is homicide, and over 80 percent of those homicides are committed with a firearm. The report also says that there is ‘insufficient evidence to determine’ the effectiveness of federal and state firearms laws in preventing this violence. Yet, we don’t have a CDC report on gun violence because for nearly two decades, an NRA-sponsored gag order has been imposed on the CDC, preventing all research into what laws could be enacted to stop this senseless bloodshed. That needs to end.

“This past weekend I marched across the Brooklyn Bridge with mothers and fathers who have lost sons and daughters to gun violence. We chanted ‘not one more’ as we all called on Congress to do something to prevent other parents from experiencing the same pain and heartbreak. Those who have been touched by the horrors of gun violence are outraged by inaction and the epidemic of silence that surrounds this issue in Washington.

“Congress has an opportunity to lift the gag order on the CDC’s research this year, and I’ll be working with Senator Ed Markey to do everything possible to make sure we do.”

Background:

Rep. Carolyn Maloney has introduced legislation to fund research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on gun violence prevention and firearms safety. Senator Ed Markey introduced a companion bill in the Senate. The legislation calls for $10 million each year for six years beginning in fiscal year 2015. President Obama included $10 million in his budget proposal released in March after lifting the 17-year ban on federal gun violence research in 2013. Since the mid-1990s, federal funding for gun violence research had almost halted entirely in response to pressure from the pro-gun lobby. As a result, policymakers, doctors, counselors, and others lack comprehensive, scientific information about the causes and characteristics of gun violence, or the best strategies to prevent future tragedies.

 The CDC report is available here: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/opportunities-for-action.html

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