141 medical organizations sent a letter to Congress this week asking it to fund gun-violence research. \u00a0These organizations argued that the lack of federal funding and language in a law that prevents the CDC from funding research that promotes “gun control” have “caused a dramatic chilling effect on federal research that has stalled and stymied progress on gathering critical data to inform prevention of gun violence for the past 20 years.”<\/p>\n
The letter was put together by Doctors for America, a group dedicated to improving affordable health care access. \u00a0It was founded in 2008 under the name “Doctors for Obama.”<\/p>\n
Boasting a coalition of more than a million members strong, Doctors for America present themselves as a force to be reckoned with. \u00a0However, some believe that their call for research is a little misleading.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese doctors have committed legislative malpractice. The actual statutory language they are complaining about does not ban the CDC from doing gun violence research,” said Larry Keane,\u00a0the senior vice president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry trade organization, in an email to GunsAmerica.<\/p>\n
“It only prohibits the CDC from advocating for gun control which it had done in the past and why Congress put the restriction in place,” continued Keane. \u00a0“I hope they pay more attention to details when they treat their patients.\u201d<\/p>\n
Below is the full letter for your review.<\/p>\n
The Honorable Thad Cochran<\/em> The Honorable Barbara Mikulski<\/em> The Honorable Harold Rogers<\/em> The Honorable Nita Lowey<\/em> The undersigned health care, public health, scientific organizations and research universities representing over 1 million members across the country urge you to end the dramatic chilling effect of the current rider language restricting gun violence research and to fund this critical work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).<\/em><\/p>\n In 1996, Congress passed the so-called Dickey amendment as a rider to the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education Appropriations bill. The language stated that the CDC could not fund research that would \u201cadvocate or promote gun control,\u201d and the language has remained in each subsequent annual funding bill. At the same time, Congress cut CDC funding for this research. Although the Dickey amendment does not explicitly prevent research on gun violence, the combination of these two actions has caused a dramatic chilling effect on federal research that has stalled and stymied progress on gathering critical data to inform prevention of gun violence for the past 20 years. Furthermore, it has discouraged the next generation of researchers from entering the field.<\/em><\/p>\n Gun violence is a serious public health epidemic resulting in the senseless deaths of an average of 91 Americans, and another 108 gun injuries, each and every day. A central part of preventing future tragedies is through conducting rigorous scientific research as this has been a proven successful approach <\/em>in reducing deaths due to other injuries.<\/em><\/p>\n Health care providers and public health professionals are overwhelmed in emergency departments, clinics, offices, and communities with the victims of mass shootings, homicides, suicides, accidental shootings, and firearm injuries. Medical professionals and our communities work to address the devastating and long-lasting physical and emotional effects of gun violence on victims, their <\/em>families and their <\/em>friends, but are hampered by the insufficient body of evidence-based research to use to point communities toward proven gun violence prevention programs and policies.<\/em><\/p>\n Former Representative Jay Dickey (R-AR), author of the current language that has effectively restricted gun violence research, recently noted <\/em>that, \u201cit is my position that somehow or someway we should slowly but methodically fund [gun] research until a solution is reached. Doing nothing is no longer an acceptable solution.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Here are some of the critical questions that enhanced research would help us answer:<\/em><\/p>\n 1) What is the best way to protect toddlers from accidentally firing a firearm?<\/strong> Safe firearm storage works, but what kinds of campaigns best encourage safe storage? What safe storage methods are the most effective and most likely to be adopted? What should be the trigger pull on a firearm so a toddler can\u2019t use it?<\/em><\/p>\n 2) What are the most effective ways to prevent gun-related suicides?<\/strong> Two-thirds of firearm related deaths are suicides. Are firearm suicides more spontaneous than non-firearm suicides? Do other risk factors vary by <\/em>method? How do we prevent it in different populations\u2014active military, veterans, those with mental illness, law enforcement or correctional officers, the elderly, or teenagers?<\/em><\/p>\n 3) What is the impact of the variety of state policies being enacted?<\/strong> How are different policies around safe storage, mental health, public education, and background checks impacting firearm injuries and deaths?<\/em><\/p>\n The CDC\u2019s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control is an important part of answering these types of questions. Public health uniquely brings together a comprehensive approach connecting the complex factors that result in violence and injuries including clinical, social, criminal, mental health, and environmental factors.<\/em><\/p>\n The impact of federal public health research in reducing deaths from car accidents, smoking and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has been well proven. Decades ago, we did not know infant car seats should be rear-facing. Robust research on car accidents and subsequent legislation has helped save hundreds of thousands of lives without preventing people from being able to drive. It\u2019s time to apply the same approach to reducing gun violence in our communities.<\/em><\/p>\n As professionals dedicated to the health of the nation and to the application of sound science to improving the lives of our fellow Americans, we urge you to take action this year. Americans deserve to know that we are working with the best tools and information in the fight to reduce gun violence deaths and injuries.<\/em><\/p>\n As Congress works to craft the FY 2017 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill, we urge you to provide the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with funding for research into the causes and prevention of gun violence.<\/em><\/p>\n Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to working with you to improve health and protect the safety of all Americans.<\/em><\/p>\n Sincerely,<\/em><\/p>\n Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health<\/em> cc:<\/em> Let me start off by saying, I\u2019m pro-research. I think the more facts we gather about a societal issue the better we’ll be able to understand it and solve the problems that it may create. And, I\u2019m all for applying scientific scrutiny to gun-related violence. If you think about it, it\u2019s actually worked out well for 2A supporters in the past. For example, thanks to research,\u00a0various government-funded research panels<\/a> concluded that bans on widely popular and commonly owned modern sporting rifles have virtually no effect on crime rates. In addition to being unconstitutional, gun bans \u2014 it turns out \u2014 are pointless policy measures that do nothing to reduce gun violence. If research on gun bans had not been done to refute specious claims by anti-gunners that they are effective, we would probably be looking at a whole different landscape with respect to the ownership of black rifles in this country. The Clinton-Era \u201cAssault Weapons Ban\u201d might still be the law of the land.<\/p>\n
\nChairman, Appropriations Committee<\/em>
\nU.S. Senate<\/em>
\nWashington, DC 20515<\/em><\/p>\n
\nVice Chairwoman, Appropriations Committee<\/em>
\nU.S. Senate<\/em>
\nWashington, DC 20515<\/em><\/p>\n
\nChairman, Appropriations Committee<\/em>
\nU.S. House of Representatives<\/em>
\nWashington, DC 20515<\/em><\/p>\n
\nRanking Member, Appropriations Committee<\/em>
\nU.S. House of Representatives<\/em>
\nWashington, DC 20515<\/em>
\nDear Senator\/Representative:<\/em><\/p>\n
\nAcademic Pediatric Association<\/em>
\nAlameda Health System Department of Emergency Medicine<\/em>
\nAmerican Academy of Family Physicians<\/em>
\nAmerican Academy of Pediatrics<\/em>
\nAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science<\/em>
\nAmerican Association of Colleges of Pharmacy<\/em>
\nAmerican Association of Nurse Practitioners<\/em>
\nAmerican College of Emergency Physicians<\/em>
\nAmerican College of Emergency Physicians, California Chapter<\/em>
\nAmerican College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine<\/em>
\nAmerican College of Physicians<\/em>
\nAmerican Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists<\/em>
\nAmerican Educational Research Association<\/em>
\nAmerican Geriatrics Society<\/em>
\nAmerican Medical Association<\/em>
\nAmerican Medical Student Association<\/em>
\nAmerican Medical Women\u2019s Association<\/em>
\nAmerican Pediatric Society<\/em>
\nAmerican Psychiatric Association<\/em>
\nAmerican Psychological Association<\/em>
\nAmerican Public Health Association<\/em>
\nAmerican Society for Clinical Pathology<\/em>
\nAmerican Society of Hematology<\/em>
\nAmerican Thoracic Society<\/em>
\nAmerican Trauma Society<\/em>
\nArkansas Public Health Association<\/em>
\nAsociaci\u00f3n de Salud P\u00fablica de Puerto Rico<\/em>
\nAssociation for Psychological Science<\/em>
\nAssociation of American Universities<\/em>
\nAssociation of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs<\/em>
\nAssociation of Population Centers<\/em>
\nAssociation of Public and Land-grant Universities<\/em>
\nBig Cities Health Coalition<\/em>
\nBoulder County Public Health<\/em>
\nBrigham Psychiatric Specialties<\/em>
\nCalifornia Center for Public Health Advocacy<\/em>
\nCalifornia Public Health Association-North<\/em>
\nCenter for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists<\/em>
\nCentral Oregon Medical Society<\/em>
\nChampaign-Urbana Public Health District<\/em>
\nChicago Center for Psychoanalysis<\/em>
\nChicago chapter Physicians for Social Responsibility<\/em>
\nColorado Public Health Association<\/em>
\nCommittee of Interns and Residents\/SEIU Healthcare<\/em>
\nCongregation Gates of Heaven<\/em>
\nConsortium of Social Science Associations<\/em>
\nCouncil of State and Territorial Epidemiologists<\/em>
\nCure Violence<\/em>
\nDelaware Academy of Medicine \/ Delaware Public Health Association<\/em>
\nDoctors Council SEIU<\/em>
\nDoctors for America<\/em>
\nEastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma<\/em>
\nFederation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences<\/em>
\nFlorida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Inc.<\/em>
\nFutures Without Violence<\/em>
\nGeorgia Public Health Association<\/em>
\nHawaii Public Health Association<\/em>
\nHealth Officers Association of California<\/em>
\nHouston Health Department<\/em>
\nIllinois Public Health Association<\/em>
\nInternational Society for Developmental Psychobiology<\/em>
\nIowa Chapter Physicians for Social Responsibility<\/em>
\nIowa Public Health Association<\/em>
\nJPS Health Network<\/em>
\nKansas Public Health Association<\/em>
\nKoop Institute<\/em>
\nKU Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health<\/em>
\nLaw and Society Association<\/em>
\nLee County Health Department<\/em>
\nLocal Public Health Association of Minnesota<\/em>
\nLouisiana Center for Health Equity<\/em>
\nMaine Public Health Association<\/em>
\nMaryland Academy of Family Physicians<\/em>
\nMinnesota Public Health Association<\/em>
\nMontana Public Health Association<\/em>
\nNational AHEC Organization<\/em>
\nNational Association of County and City Health Officials<\/em>
\nNational Association of Medical Examiners<\/em>
\nNational Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women\u2019s Health<\/em>
\nNational Association of Social Workers<\/em>
\nNational Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials<\/em>
\nNational Association of State Head Injury Administrators<\/em>
\nNational Black Nurses Association<\/em>
\nNational Hispanic Medical Association<\/em>
\nNational Medical Association<\/em>
\nNational Network of Public Health Institutes<\/em>
\nNational Physicians Alliance<\/em>
\nNational Violence Prevention Network<\/em>
\nNevada Public Health Association<\/em>
\nNew Hampshire Public Health Association<\/em>
\nNew Mexico Public Health Association<\/em>
\nNorth Carolina Public Health Association<\/em>
\nOhio Public Health Association<\/em>
\nOhio Public Health Association<\/em>
\nOregon Academy of Family Physicians<\/em>
\nOregon Physicians for Social Responsibility<\/em>
\nOregon Public Health Association<\/em>
\nPediatric Policy Council<\/em>
\nPhysicians for Social Responsibility, Arizona Chapter<\/em>
\nPhysicians for a National Health <\/em>Program NY Metro Chapter<\/em>
\nPhysicians for Reproductive Health<\/em>
\nPhysicians for Social Responsibility \/ Northeast Ohio<\/em>
\nPhysicians for Social Responsibility Wisconsin<\/em>
\nPhysicians for Social Responsibility, Arizona Chapter<\/em>
\nPhysicians for Social Responsibility\/New York<\/em>
\nPhysicians for the Prevention of Gun Violence<\/em>
\nPopulation Association of America<\/em>
\nPrevention Institute<\/em>
\nPsychonomic Society<\/em>
\nPublic Health Association of Nebraska<\/em>
\nPublic Health Association of New York City<\/em>
\nPublic Health Institute<\/em>
\nResearch!America<\/em>
\nRiverStone Health<\/em>
\nSafe States Alliance<\/em>
\nSan Francisco Bay Area Chapter, Physicians for Social Responsibility<\/em>
\nSociety for Adolescent Health and Medicine<\/em>
\nSociety for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research<\/em>
\nSociety for Mathematical Psychology<\/em>
\nSociety for Pediatric Research<\/em>
\nSociety for Psychophysiological Research<\/em>
\nSociety for Public Health Education<\/em>
\nSociety of Experimental Social Psychology<\/em>
\nSociety of General Internal Medicine<\/em>
\nSouthern California Public Health Association<\/em>
\nSouthwest Ohio Society of Family Medicine<\/em>
\nStudent National Medical Association<\/em>
\nSuicide Awareness Voices of Education<\/em>
\nTexas Doctors for Social Responsibility<\/em>
\nTexas Public Health Association<\/em>
\nTrauma Foundation<\/em>
\nTri-County Health Department<\/em>
\nTrust for America\u2019s Health<\/em>
\nUnited Physicians of Newtown<\/em>
\nVermont Public Health Association<\/em>
\nVirginia Public Health Association<\/em>
\nWashington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics<\/em>
\nWashington State Public Health Association<\/em>
\nWellness Institute of Greater Buffalo<\/em>
\nWhiteside County Health Department<\/em><\/p>\n
\nThe Honorable Mitch McConnell<\/em>
\nThe Honorable Paul Ryan<\/em>
\nThe Honorable Harry Reid<\/em>
\nThe Honorable Nancy Pelosi<\/em>
\nMembers of Congress<\/em><\/p>\nA Few Quick Thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n