House Judiciary, Energy & Commerce Committees Prioritize Community Violence Initiatives and Gun Violence Prevention
Washington, DC — Giffords, the gun violence prevention group led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, applauds the House Judiciary and Energy & Commerce Committees for an historic investment in community violence intervention programs during today’s markups of the Build Back Better Act, reconciliation legislation related to the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Resolution. The Judiciary Committee approved $2.5 billion to fund community-based violence intervention programs to be administered through the Department of Justice. The Energy and Commerce Committee approved $2.5 billion of funding for community violence and trauma interventions based within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Paul Carrillo, Community Violence Initiative Director:
“This week the House Judiciary and Energy & Commerce Committees took an important step forward in the fight to end gun violence in America by approving unprecedented federal funding for community violence intervention programs. After a year in which cities across the country saw staggering rates of violence and drastic increases in homicides, it’s more important than ever that the federal government invest in programs that will reverse these deadly trends. Violence intervention programs are some of the most effective tools to interrupt cycles of violence, save lives, and keep people out of the criminal justice system, yet these programs are under-resourced in far too many communities. We thank Chairman Nadler and Chairman Pallone for their unwavering leadership and commitment to ending gun violence.”
Funding approved by the House Judiciary Committee today will support community-based violence intervention programs through the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, and Office of Violence Against Women to award grants to support evidence-informed intervention strategies to reduce community violence. The funding will be available through September 30, 2030.
The House Energy & Commerce Committee approved funding to support community violence and trauma interventions at the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in consultation with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Office of Minority Health, to award grants to support evidence-based, culturally competent, and developmentally appropriate strategies to reduce community violence.
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