Recommendations on Executive Actions Provide a Roadmap for a Sustained and Strategic Response to Help Address Gun Violence in America
President Could Also Declare Gun Violence a Public Health Emergency to Unlock New Funding and Research Resources
NEW YORK – In advance of the first Democratic debates this week, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown, today released a list of 10 executive actions the next President can take to tackle gun safety. A new Morning Consult/Politico poll of Democrats released today found gun policy the top issue, behind only climate change, that Democratic voters want to hear about during debates this week.
“Americans are sick and tired of Congressional inaction in the face of a gun violence epidemic that claims 100 lives every day and wounds hundreds more,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “The next President must address this crisis on Day One, and Everytown is committed to providing him or her with a roadmap for taking action and saving lives.”
“As a parent, it’s hard to focus on anything else when you fear for your kids’ safety,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “Too many lives are at stake to put this issue on the back burner. Americans want candidates to prioritize gun safety, and Moms Demand Action volunteers are committed to making sure voters know where every candidate for office stands on this public safety issue.”
The roadmap includes the following steps the next president could take by executive action to address gun violence:
Coupled with these executive actions, the President could also declare gun violence a public health emergency to unlock new resources. A public health emergency declaration projects a president’s values and is an important statement that the government is dedicating its resources to a crisis. It also opens up a raft of emergency powers, which include but are not limited to new funding authorities and research authorities. Recent emergencies have been declared in response to earthquakes, severe weather, and the H1N1 flu epidemic. Our country’s gun violence epidemic is a public health emergency, infecting every aspect of American life.
