AAP Statement on Gun Violence Prevention Research Funding

By: Kyle Yasuda, MD, FAAP, President, American Academy of Pediatrics

​"Today, bipartisan leaders in both chambers of Congress announced a federal spending bill that will make historic progress to protect children, families and communities from gun violence. For the first time in over 20 years, this bill would direct federal investment into gun violence prevention research, providing $25 million for such work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

"The significance of this moment, hard-fought and tirelessly led by pediatricians across specialties and backgrounds, cannot be overstated. From the emergency room pediatrician who treats the youngest victims of gun violence to the academic researcher who knows what we need to further understand the causes of gun violence in the first place, pediatricians have been speaking up about the need for public health research for decades. Today it is clear that Congress heard our message. We thank congressional appropriators for prioritizing this important investment, and particularly House Appropriations Chair Nita Lowey for her decades of leadership on this issue.

"On the heels of the seven year anniversary of Sandy Hook, we are reminded of the lives that have been taken too soon by gun violence, and look to today's progress as a glimmer of hope that we can make a difference by working together to keep children safe. Most importantly though, we cannot stop here. Pediatricians urge Congress to pass this spending bill without delay, and will continue to call for comprehensive, common-sense policies that protect children from gun violence."

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org and follow us on Twitter @AmerAcadPeds