On Capitol Hill, Giffords Law Center Chief Counsel and Policy Director Testifies on Nationwide Cost of Gun Violence at Joint Economic Committee Hearing
Adam Skaggs, chief counsel and policy director, a witness at ‘Gun Violence in America: Understanding and Reducing the Costs of Firearm Injuries and Deaths’ hearing
Testimony pointed to solutions to reduce the $229 billion cost of gun violence
September 18, 2019 — Adam Skaggs, chief counsel and policy director of Giffords Law Center, spoke before the congressional Joint Economic Committee today on the costs of America’s current gun violence crisis. Highlighting a price tag of $229 billion a year , Adam testified to solutions that can reduce the costs such as swiftly passing H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 , funding gun violence research, and implementing community violence intervention programs.
READ ADAM SKAGGS’ FULL TESTIMONY.
“Beyond the devastating toll gun violence imposes on American families and communities, gun violence imposes extraordinary costs on the American economy,” said Adam Skaggs, Chief Counsel and Policy Director of Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence in remarks for the Joint Economic Committee hearing prepared for delivery. “Data compiled by Giffords Law Center has made clear for years that states with stronger gun laws have lower rates of gun deaths and spend less on gun violence than states with weaker laws. But our federal laws remain porous and ineffective and gun violence continues to be a tremendous public health and safety crisis that costs hundreds of billions of dollars each year. This crisis is neither inevitable nor acceptable. Congress should act immediately to stop it.”
The gun death rate in America has reached its highest level in nearly 40 years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced that in 2017, nearly 40,000 Americans died from gun violence, more than 100 Americans every day. Researchers estimate that gun violence costs the American economy $229 billion annually through direct costs like medical transport, law enforcement costs, and medical and mental health treatment. 87 percent of these direct costs are borne by taxpayers—or about $700 per person per year.
During the hearing, Skaggs pointed to solutions to help reduce the cost of gun violence—including policies to reduce easy access to firearms such as universal background checks and extreme risk protection orders and investing in public health-oriented, evidence-based community violence intervention programs , which have been proven to save $7 for every $1 spent.