Doc Hastings: “This morning at 9, I held a gun violence roundtable. We had extraordinary presenters from those who are gathering…”

“This morning at 9, I held a gun violence roundtable. We had extraordinary presenters from those who are gathering information and disseminating that information around the country to address this subject. What the Gun Violence Research Act would do is give the Centers for Disease Control the authority to research the causes, mechanisms, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of injuries with respect to gun violence. It would also encourage the improvement and expansion of the National Violent Death Reporting Systems and empower healthcare providers by not inhibiting a physician or other healthcare provider from asking a patient about the possession of a firearm and speaking to a patient about gun safety or reporting to authorities a patient's threat of violence. If there is anyone in the House of Representatives who does not believe that we have a gun violence epidemic in our society, then I would ask him or her if they would speak with me and other Members of Congress that have been about the business of trying to cause there to be a reduction. This actually does fit into the circumstances that we are addressing in the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Many of the violent acts that take place--not just mass shootings, but on a day-to-day basis--regrettably, take place in some of the low-income areas, where we have inadequate housing, inadequate education, and inadequate educational opportunity.…”