A total of 75 national medical, health, public health, and research organizations, including the AAMC, sent a Feb. 22 letter urging House and Senate lawmakers “to find a bipartisan path forward for comprehensive legislative solutions to firearm-related injuries and fatalities” in the wake of the recent mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., and other recent events.
The letter describes the success of bipartisan solutions over time to address other public health challenges through evidence-based prevention strategies on motor vehicle safety and immunizations, for example.
Specifically, the groups note, “Strengthening firearm background checks and supporting funding for federal research and public health surveillance on firearm-related injuries and fatalities would provide meaningful progress in achieving a public health solution for this issue.”