Trump Cuts Gun Violence Research Funding from Budget, Everytown Responds

WASHINGTON — Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown, released the following statement condemning President Trump’s decision to explicitly cut the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gun violence research funding in his newly-released budget: 

“Trump is so deep in the gun lobby’s pocket that he can no longer see daylight,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “Every day, gun violence kills over 100 Americans and wounds twice as many more, but the person ultimately responsible for our safety won’t even agree to fund the gun violence research approved by Congress. We must defeat Trump this November and elect a president who will fight for our families –– not for the gun lobby.”

President Trump’s proposed budget cut comes just two months after Congress agreed to a government spending deal that included $25 million in funding for the CDC and National Institutes of Health (NIH) to research the causes, effects, and solutions of gun violence. A fact sheet on why funding gun violence research matters is available here. 

This budget cut is the latest in a long line of failures by President Trump and his administration on the issue of gun violence. At least 100,000 Americans have been killed by guns since President Trump took office––and twice that many have been wounded––in mass shootings, incidents of daily gun violence, unintentional gun violence, and gun suicide. And yet, Trump has consistently stood in the way of gun safety legislation.  

Everytown Action Fund and Victory Fund plan to spend $60 million on an electoral program for 2020. Everytown, Moms Demand Action, and Students Demand Action will work tirelessly to replace President Trump with a new Gun Sense president.