Quigley Leads Bipartisan Call on House Leadership to Lift Gun Violence Research Ban
WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (IL-05), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Robin Kelly (IL-02), David E. Price (NC-04), Nita Lowey (NY-17), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and 141 other members called on House Speaker Paul Ryan and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi to lift the de-facto ban on federal gun violence research. The full text of the letter is here.
“Our nation is facing an epidemic of gun violence, where nearly 90 people die every day from guns. These repeated tragedies beg many questions. But because the federal government has prohibited funding for research aimed at reducing gun violence for two decades, the answers do not exist. By limiting our knowledge, we prevent ourselves from protecting our citizens,” said Rep. Quigley. “If my colleagues are serious about keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill, they must allow the CDC to research the problem. It’s time to stop listening to the gun lobby and start listening to the American people.”
“Knowledge is power. And when we’re dealing with a gun violence problem of epidemic proportions, we need every tool at our disposal,” said Rep. Kelly. “The only way we can craft meaningful legislation to combat gun violence is to have a full and accurate assessment of the impact of gun violence on our communities, our public health and on our economic future. Lifting the ban on federal gun violence research is a crucial step in stemming senseless gun violence and making our country safer.”
Appropriations amendments first adopted in the 1990’s, known as the “Dickey Amendments” and “Rehberg Amendments”, continue to prohibit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal agencies under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from conducting research into the public health impact of gun violence, which kills approximately 32,000 Americans each year. Congress should allow the research community to investigate evidence-based solutions that could help prevent gun violence while still protection the rights of law-abiding gun owners. Former Rep. Jay Dickey of Arkansas, who originally introduced the legislation that effectively banned federal funding research on gun violence, has reversed his stance, saying that “It is my position that somehow or someway we should slowly but methodically fund such research until a solution is reached. Doing nothing is no longer an acceptable solution."
The letter urged Speaker Ryan and Leader Pelosi to direct Appropriators not to include these provisions in this fiscal year’s funding legislation. The Fiscal Year 2017 Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations bill, which includes the gun violence research ban, has yet to be considered by the House Appropriations Committee.
As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Quigley has called on Congress to stand up to the gun lobby in America. Most recently, he co-authored a bipartisan background check bill that expands the existing background check system to cover all commercial firearm sales. He also introduced the Good Neighbor Gun Act, which would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a voluntary code of conduct for licensed gun dealers and create a national “Good Neighbor” certification for gun dealers who abide by a certain set of requirements. His signature legislation, the TRACE Act, cracks down on the illegal gun market by improving gun tracking data and provides law enforcement the tools it needs to enforce current gun laws. Rep. Quigley also believes Chicago’s gun violence epidemic demands a federal response. He has led bills to increase funding to public safety and combat gun violence in the Chicago area, and is an original sponsor of the Buyback Our Safety Act to bolster gun buyback initiatives.
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