Democrats Push to Restart CDC Funding for Gun Violence Research - ProPublica

A Senate which cannot bring itself to confirm Vivek Murthy, nominee for Surgeon General, because he supports this sort of study is probably a graveyard for this measure.  But thanks to Congress Members Maloney and Markey for holding the torch high.  - gwc

Democrats Push to Restart CDC Funding for Gun Violence Research - ProPublica:
by Lois Beckett

Two Congressional Democrats are unveiling legislation this morning that would restart the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's gun violence research efforts.

Since 1996, when a small CDC-funded studyon the risks of owning a firearm ignited opposition from Republicans, the CDC's budget for research on firearms injuries has shrunk to zero.

The result, as we've detailed, is that many basic questions about gun violence — such as how many Americans are shot each year — remain unanswered.

The new legislation, which will be introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) in the House, and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) in the Senate, would give the CDC $10 million a year "for the purpose of conducting or supporting research on firearms safety or gun violence prevention."

"In America, gun violence kills twice as many children as cancer, and yet political grandstanding has halted funding for public health research to understand this crisis," Maloney said in a statement.

Maloney, who co-sponsored the 1994 assault weapons ban, is a long-time gun control advocate. Earlier this year, she and Markey encouraged President Obama to include CDC funding in his proposed 2015 budget, which he did.

Obama's proposal has been opposed by key Republicans.

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