Carper releases memo detailing federal government efforts to curb gun violence

U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) released this week a minority staff memorandum detailing federal support for public health research on gun violence and revealing a setback in federal efforts due to a lack of funding

The memo was released on the four-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which claimed the lives of 26 children and school administrators.

At the senator’s request, Carper’s staff received information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute of Justice, the National Research Council and the National Science Foundation. The information given detailed ongoing efforts to support public health research on gun violence in accordance with the President’s 2013 memorandum directing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary to conduct research on the causes and potential prevention tools needed to curb gun violence.

“This cannot be a partisan issue,” Carper said. “Congress has a responsibility to support research aimed at preventing mass shootings and protect our children and families as they go about their daily lives. I applaud those agencies making use of limited funding to research the causes and prevention of gun violence, and I call on my colleagues in Congress to support further research efforts in order to seriously combat this public health crisis.”

According to various federal agencies, few steps have been taken by the federal government to improve data collection and evidence-based research on gun violence as a public health issue. Carper said the President repeatedly requested additional resources for studying gun violence since FY2014, but Congress had not appropriated any direct funding for the effort.