STATEMENT: Gun Safety Organization Responds to Funding For Gun Violence Prevention Priorities In The FY17 Omnibus Appropriations Act

May 2, 2017

May 2, 2017 — As the House of Representatives prepares to vote tomorrow on the FY17 Omnibus Appropriations Act, Americans for Responsible Solutions, the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Navy combat veteran and NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, issued the below statement today about the legislation, which contains funding for key gun violence prevention priorities and contains no new special interest gun policy riders.

Peter Ambler, Executive Director of Americans for Responsible Solutions:

“Our national background check system is only as strong as the effort we put into making sure it’s up to date and contains the right records. We commend the leaders from both sides of the aisle who have come together to support the system that helps keep guns out of the hands of felons, domestic abusers, and the dangerously mentally ill. In addition to funding the federal background check system, this appropriations bill increases funding for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and contains no harmful gun policy restrictions. In the coming year, we hope that Congress will have the courage to make our communities safer by rejecting the Washington gun lobby’s dangerous legislative agenda and by passing commonsense gun safety legislation that protects the rights of law-abiding gun owners and keeps guns out of the wrong hands.”

About The FY17 Omnibus Appropriations Act

The bill, which has no new special interest gun policy riders, also contains funding for several key gun violence prevention initiatives that ARS advocated for, including:

National Instant Criminal Background Check System: $73 million, which is consistent with the FY16 enacted level.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives: $1.26 billion, $18.6M above the FY16 enacted level.

Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program: $17.5 million, $2.5 million above the FY16 enacted level.