Baldwin Helps Secure Federal Funding to Conduct Gun Violence Research For First Time in More Than 20 Years

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, helped secure $25 million in the Fiscal Year 2020 government funding agreement for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study gun violence prevention.

This is the first time in more than 20 years that Congress has appropriated federal funding for gun violence research. In last year’s funding bill, Congress adopted language clarifying that a longstanding measure that bars the use of federal dollars to advocate or promote gun control, known as the Dickey Amendment, does not prevent those funds from supporting research into the causes of gun violence.

“I believe that Congress has a moral responsibility to confront gun violence like the public health crisis it is,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m proud to say Congress finally took action today and is providing $25 million to study the effects of gun violence on our communities, and how to prevent it so we can save lives.”

“Research funding provides us with opportunities to reduce gun violence in the United States. The academic scientific community is excited to learn about the modest allocation of research funding that has been approved for NIH and CDC. As with other complex diseases, we can learn more about the causes and optimal treatments for patients who are injured with a bullet,” said Stephen Hargarten, MD, MPH, Professor of the Department of Emergency Medicine, Associate Dean for the Global Health Program at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Director of the Comprehensive Injury Center. “Gun violence is a significant and pervasive public health burden, and many of us have been working together to perform analysis and research on this issue. We collectively are dedicated to make our communities healthy and safe.”

This government funding agreement includes $12.5 million for CDC and $12.5 million for NIH to conduct gun violence prevention research. Baldwin has long supported funding for gun violence prevention research and has cosponsored legislation to provide funding for the CDC to conduct or support research on firearms safety and gun violence prevention.