[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 77 (Wednesday, May 21, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E795-E796]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT: GUN VIOLENCE RESEARCH LEGISLATION

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                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 21, 2014

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to 
introduce legislation to end the misguided freeze on public health 
research about firearm safety and gun violence.
  For too long, this Congress has put political talking points ahead of 
real solutions, and our country is a more dangerous place because of 
it. Every day, 32 Americans are murdered with guns, and a recent study 
conducted by researchers at New York University's Langone Medical 
Center and St. Luke's Medical Center found the U.S. has the highest 
rate of gun-related deaths among a group of 27 developed countries, 
including four times higher than Canada.
  Because of past riders on Appropriations legislation, federal funding 
for gun violence research came to a halt in the mid-1990s. As a result 
policymakers and community leaders lack the authoritative public health 
research they need to address the horrifying persistence of gun 
violence.
  The bill I introduce today, with companion legislation introduced by 
Senator Markey, would right this wrong and authorize $10 million in 
annual funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
through Fiscal Year 2020. This funding will allow the CDC to begin the 
research agenda outlined in a report issued last year by the Institutes 
of Medicine to identify areas in need of study to better understand the 
underlying causes of gun violence and best implement strategies for 
prevention.
  We know that public health research can save lives and prevent 
tragedies. For example, the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration funds research to make our roads

[[Page E796]]

and cars safer--and car fatalities have decreased 36 percent in the 
last 20 years. Other public health crises cannot be left ignored, and 
I'm proud to introduce this legislation that addresses the epidemic of 
gun violence and develops best strategies to prevent future incidents.

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