[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 5 (Friday, January 18, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E39]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   INTRODUCTION OF THE FIREARM SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH ACT

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                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 18, 2013

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce 
the Firearm Safety and Public Health Research Act and I commend my 
colleagues, Mr. Markey and the other 31 members who have joined me in 
sponsoring this bill.
  Gun violence is a public health issue and public health agencies 
should have the ability to develop and pursue violence prevention and 
mental health research.
  Unfortunately, since 1996 a rider to the Centers for Disease Control 
(CDC) appropriations bill has prohibited the agency from conducting 
high-quality, peer-reviewed research into gun violence prevention. 
Congress expanded the ban in 2011 to apply to the entire Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS), including the National Institutes of 
Health (NIH).
  For over 16 years, gun deaths have continued to plague this country 
while we have restricted any meaningful, government sponsored 
scientific research on gun violence. We are unable to answer 
fundamental questions on the underlying causes of gun deaths because 
special interests and Members of Congress have restricted federal 
agencies from researching it.
  Now is the time to repeal this ban.
  The bill I am introducing will do just that.
  The Firearm Safety and Public Health Research Act will lift the 
current prohibitions on CDC and NIH research into firearm safety. 
Federally-supported public health research would resume at these key 
agencies to help understand the causes of gun violence and make sure 
that we are best prepared to address this enormous public health 
crisis.
  Even former Representative Jay Dickey, the Congressman who was 
instrumental in passing the 1996 ban agrees and is now calling for its 
repeal.
  Congress should not be able to establish politically motivated 
restrictions on specific areas of research. We have witnessed far too 
many tragedies as the result of firearms and we need all the data and 
information we can get to inform policy.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important 
legislation.

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