Lowey, DeLauro Announce Appropriations Hearing on Public Health Emergency of Gun Violence
WASHINGTON — House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey (D-NY) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Chairwoman of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced that the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee will hold its first hearing on gun violence prevention research in more than 20 years on Thursday, March 7. The hearing, “Addressing the Public Health Emergency of Gun Violence,” is the beginning of a robust discussion on federal funding for gun violence prevention research as Congress enters the fiscal year 2020 appropriations process.
“Nearly 40,000 Americans are killed by guns each year, and tens of thousands more are treated for gun injuries. It is clear that the United States faces a public health emergency of gun violence, one that is breaking apart families, eroding the safety of communities, and threatening our shared future. Only by conducting scientific research on gun violence can we better understand the causes of this crisis and develop and implement a public health response to reduce gun injuries and deaths,” Chairwoman Lowey said. “Yet, without dedicated funding from Congress, the CDC cannot move forward with the important work of performing research into the causes of gun violence. That is why we look forward to hearing from experts this week about the tools and resources they need to improve our understanding of the causes, impacts, and scope of gun violence. Together, we can enhance our capabilities, improve public health, and save lives.”
“For far too long an epidemic of gun violence has plagued our nation, taking tens of thousands of lives each year,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. “Yet Congress’s response for more than 20 years has been silence. It is unconscionable that we have failed to fund gun violence research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since Fiscal Year 1996. But that will change in the new Congress. By holding this hearing, we will finally begin to address the problem and work to fight this urgent public health emergency.”
WHO: Members of the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee and four witnesses:
Ronald Stewart M.D., FACS
Director of Trauma Programs, American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma
Andrew Morral Ph.D.
Senior Behavioral Scientist, RAND Corporation
Daniel Webster Sc.D.
Director, Johns Hopkins University Center for Gun Policy and Research
John Lott Ph.D.
President, Crime Prevention Research Center
WHAT: A hearing on “Addressing the Public Health Emergency of Gun Violence”
WHEN: Thursday, March 7, 2019 at 10:30 am
WHERE: 2358-C of the Rayburn House Office Building
WATCH LIVE: https://youtu.be/VxuRseML0kM
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