Gun Violence Discussed as Public Health Crisis by Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats
Democrats on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee met on Tuesday to discuss the treatment of gun violence as a public health crisis. The aim was to build upon last year’s federal gun safety legislation. Committee chairman, Dick Durbin, emphasized the need to address the nationwide epidemic of gun violence, stating that it is a public health issue.
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However, Senate Republicans pushed back against this approach, arguing that it would violate the Second Amendment and that the focus should be on mental health instead. Senator John Cornyn, the top Republican on the committee, stated that law-abiding citizens with firearms do not pose a threat to public safety.
Durbin explained that the Democratic witnesses, including doctors and public health experts, would help lawmakers decide how to expand the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which is the most comprehensive federal gun safety legislation passed in nearly 30 years.
Passing additional gun safety legislation will be challenging as Republicans control the House, and Democrats have only a slim majority in the Senate, requiring a 60-vote threshold.
The bipartisan safety act was introduced after tragic events in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, where 19 children, two teachers, and 10 Black individuals were killed. Multiple high-profile mass shootings have occurred this year, including incidents in Nashville, Tennessee, and Lewiston, Maine.
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Durbin emphasized that Congress must get involved due to the unique prevalence of gun violence in the United States. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 619 mass shootings this year alone. Firearm-related injuries are now the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in the country, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.
Witnesses called by the Democrats highlighted the need to collect data on gun violence to identify risks and implement effective violence prevention programs. They also stressed the importance of hospital-based violence intervention programs, which involve multidisciplinary approaches to ensure comprehensive recovery and reduce re-injury after discharge.
Some Republicans, including Senators John Kennedy, Mike Lee, and Thom Tillis, criticized New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s executive order declaring gun violence a public health emergency. They argued that it infringed upon Second Amendment rights and hindered the development of reasonable policies.
The discussion on treating gun violence as a public health crisis continues, with Democrats aiming to find solutions to address this pressing issue.
