Gabby Giffords & Mark Kelly Call on Congress to End the Federal Ban on Gun Violence Research

TUCSON, AZ – Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and retired Navy combat veteran and NASA astronaut Capt. Mark Kelly, the Co-Founders of Americans for Responsible Solutions, today called on Congress to end the federal ban on gun violence research. In a letter sent to Congressional leaders today, Giffords and Kelly urged legislators to do away with the irresponsible and damaging rider that prevents federal gun violence research – including its causes and costs to our country – in appropriations legislation for fiscal year 2016.

“We urge you to end the ban on research into gun violence,” write Giffords and Kelly in the letter. “The only way to begin to address a problem is to understand it. We must understand the full scope of the problem of gun violence in our country: its causes, its costs, and how we can prevent it. At a time when our nation is reeling from mass shootings, gun homicides and gun suicides, it is critical to expand, not restrict, gun violence prevention research.”

The full letter sent by Congresswoman Giffords and Captain Kelly is here and follows below:

The Honorable Mitch McConnell The Honorable Harry Reid Majority Leader Minority Leader U.S. Senate U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Paul Ryan The Honorable Nancy Pelosi

Speaker Democratic Leader

U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515

December 11, 2015

Dear Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Reid, Speaker Ryan, Leader Pelosi, and Members of the United States Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives:

As founders of Americans for Responsible Solutions and on behalf of our over 800,000 supporters, we urge you to end the ban on research into gun violence. Annual spending bills passed by Congress have included a “rider” that prevents federal research into gun violence – including its causes and costs to our country. Appropriations legislation for fiscal year 2016 should do away with this damaging policy.

Gun violence is a full-blown public health crisis. Approximately 30,000 Americans die from firearms-related deaths each year. But since 1996, federal research into the causes and prevention of gun violence has effectively been frozen. This misguided limitation on research into gun violence by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health has left us in the dark about its causes and full toll, and what can be done to prevent gun violence while respecting the rights of responsible gun owners.

The only way to begin to address a problem is to understand it. We must understand the full scope of the problem of gun violence in our country: its causes, its costs, and how we can prevent it. At a time when our nation is reeling from mass shootings, gun homicides and gun suicides, it is critical to expand, not restrict, gun violence prevention research.

Thank you for your commitment to improving public safety and for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly

Founders, Americans for Responsible Solutions