Democratic Reps. Joe Neguse of Colorado and Lucy McBath of Georgia sent a letter, which was signed by 34 other lawmakers, to request the placement of a “National Director of Gun Violence Prevention,”
House Democrats on Friday urged President Biden to appoint a “national gun violence” director as the administration hinted at possible firearms regulations earlier in February.
Democratic Reps. Joe Neguse of Colorado and Lucy McBath of Georgia sent a letter, which was signed by 34 other lawmakers, to request the placement of a “National Director of Gun Violence Prevention,” adding that the official would “create and chair an Interagency Task Force on Gun Violence Prevention.” The coalition of legislators cited a “persistent and growing gun violence” problem in the United States as the reason for the move.
“Every year, nearly 40,000 people are killed with guns in our nation and another 76,000 are injured, with disproportionate shares of this violence falling on communities of color,” the letter read. “In 2020 alone, as the COVID-19 pandemic raged, at least 43,561 people needlessly lost their lives due to gun violence, a 10% increase from 2019. As gun ownership soars to record levels, we fear that this violence will only continue to grow.”
It continued: “Currently, federal efforts to combat gun violence, including research on the impacts and causes of gun violence and law enforcement efforts to combat it, are siloed across agencies. Appointing a National Director of Gun Violence to promote coordination of federal agencies will ensure these agencies are working collaboratively, including via the dissemination of critical data and coordination of shared goals, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco, Department of Justice, Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”