Washington, D.C., December 19, 2021 - Following Sen. Joe Manchin’s statement that he will not vote for President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, Brady expresses profound disappointment in the senator’s sentiments and urges the Senate to move forward with this bill and pass it. The $5 billion for community violence intervention programs included in this package will save lives across the country and help address the root causes of violence and community conflict. Particularly against the backdrop of surging violence across the country, this funding is sorely needed.Brady President Kris Brown shared:
“It is unconscionable that Senator Manchin would oppose the Build Back Better agenda, particularly at this late juncture. This bill includes a $5 billion investment for community violence intervention programs across the country, arguably the largest investment in gun violence prevention ever. The funds in this bill will save lives across our nation, particularly in Black and Brown communities impacted greatest by the daily toll of gun violence that persists. It is shameful that any Senator or elected official would turn their back on that funding. We know now that gun violence spike to record levels in 2020, including the highest rate of gun death ever recorded in the United States. 45,247 Americans died from gun violence last year. This is a crisis that requires meaningful and significant action. The Senate has failed to deliver common-sense and bipartisan bills for decades, despite the House of Representatives repeatedly passing bipartisan bills to expand and strengthen Brady background checks and address the Charleston loophole. This action is just the latest example of the deep dysfunction that has gripped the Senate. We need action, not statements and not excuses.”
About the Build Back Better Agenda's Community Violence Intervention Funding Proposals:President Biden first included the call for this transformative investment in community violence intervention in his American Jobs Plan, and worked with House and Senate leadership to include the funding in the Build Back Better Act. Community violence prevention models have proven effective and work by implementing public safety measures that are informed by data and carried out by local organizations on the ground in the communities most impacted.
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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