Bush, Lee, Booker, Kelly, Thompson, Frost, Espaillat Call for HHS Report on Gun Violence as a Public Health Crisis
Washington, D.C. (June 30, 2023)— On the last day of Gun Violence Awareness Month, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) joined Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Representatives Barbara Lee (CA-12), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) in leading a letter with over 50 of their colleagues urging HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to publish a report uplifting the urgency of addressing gun violence as a threat to our nation’s public health.
“Since the start of 2023, there have been over 290 mass shootings in the United States – nearly two each day of this year,”the lawmakers wrote.“We acknowledge and appreciate the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) commitment to keep our communities safe, but more must be done to effectively curb gun violence. We urge HHS to publish a Surgeon General report to uplift the urgency of addressing gun violence as a threat to our nation’s public health.”
They continued, “A Surgeon General report would help fill gaps in gun violence research and identify areas where data remains limited. It would also demonstrate, from a clinical perspective, that gun violence is a public health crisis that requires a whole-of-government response. A Surgeon General report would also infuse a renewed sense of urgency on the issue and coalesce researchers, policymakers, and the public.”
The full text of the letter is available here.
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