AMA renews call for gun violence prevention in wake of Tulsa shooting
The AMA released the following statement in response to the targeted killing of physicians in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the latest in a string of mass shootings across the country.
“As we have said repeatedly since declaring gun violence a public health crisis in 2016, gun violence is out of control in the United States, and, without real-world, common-sense federal actions, it will not abate,” said AMA President Gerald E. Harmon, MD. “The victims are grade school children and their teachers, people shopping for groceries on a Saturday afternoon, those attending their house of worship, and most recently in Tulsa, those who have dedicated their lives to healing. The House Judiciary Committee is taking an important first step...by considering the ‘Protecting Our Kids Act,’ and we urge members to approve life-saving measures and policies endorsed by the very physicians tasked with caring for victims of gun violence.”
In a letter (PDF) to the chairman and ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, the AMA highlighted specific, common-sense measures in H.R. 7910, the “Protecting Our Kids Act,” which the AMA supports to curb gun violence. The letter was shared in advance of the committee considering the bill. Provisions include increasing the purchasing age for semi-automatic rifles from 18-21 and closing the 'ghost-gun loophole. The House of Representatives approved H.R. 7910 by a vote of 223-204 on June 8.
For more information, read the full statement.
