Sarah Elfreth: “this Gun Violence Prevention Month, I rise today to bring attention to the leading cause of death for children and teens…”

“this Gun Violence Prevention Month, I rise today to bring attention to the leading cause of death for children and teens in this country, which is firearms. The reason we know that firearms are the leading cause of death for children is because of scientists and researchers at government agencies like the Centers For Disease Control. Over the years, the CDC has advanced our Nation's public health through recommendations to improve things like vehicle design, smoke detectors, and bicycle helmets. Yet this administration is now decimating CDC offices including the Division of Violence Prevention and the Division of Injury Prevention. Mr. Speaker, as legislators, we have a shared responsibility to advance policies to keep our communities safe, but we cannot do that without good science and good data. We simply cannot understand the scope and the depth of the gun violence epidemic without the CDC doing its job. That is why myself and House Democrats will fight for our world-class scientists, researchers, and health professionals every single day.”