Connecticut Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy joined state health officials and gun control advocates this week to explain why they want Congress to lift the ban on federal research on gun violence by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Murphy says the CDC researches other topics and should be allowed to look into this.  Murphy says other potential funding sources are being sent a message that they shouldn't bother if the government doesn't.

A 1996 Republican appropriations rider prohibits federal funds from being used to advocate or promote gun control, which some have misconstrued as a ban on funding scientific research into the causes of gun violence. The author of the original rider, former Representative Jay Dickey now supports funding CDC gun-violence research and has stated that the rider should not stand in the way.

Blumenthal says purposeful ignorance about this ongoing public health crisis is inexplicable and inexcusable. Sound science is necessary for evidence-based programs to save lives – not the hear no evil, see no evil approach currently compelled by the ban.