Congress approves CDC and NIH gun violence research funding

Congress is expected to approve federal funding for gun violence research this week for the first time in over 20 years as part of a final year-end appropriations package that the President is expected to sign into law. The deal, based on amendments authored by House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), would designate $25 million for gun violence research split evenly between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

The AMA has long advocated for Congress to address the high number of gun-related homicides, suicides and injuries—many of which are preventable—as a public health issue similar to addressing tobacco use, underage drinking, alcohol and helmet use for bicyclists and motorcyclists.  Determining the root causes—through federally-funded research—of any public health problem is critical to developing solutions.