President Biden’s Budget is a Historic Investment in America and in Gun Violence Prevention

Washington, D.C., May 28, 2021 - Today, Brady celebrates President Biden’s historic inclusion and increases in funding for evidence-based gun violence prevention programs in his proposed budget. These investments demonstrate what we already know: President Biden is taking a people-first approach to solving our nation’s ills and gun violence prevention, investing in communities and in programs that aid those most impacted by this public health epidemic.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“Since taking office, President Biden has demonstrated his commitment to preventing gun violence and to doing so in a manner consistent with a public health epidemic. Already, President Biden has committed and called for historic funds for gun violence prevention programs, including the $5 billion included in his American Jobs Plan which would be arguably the largest funding for gun violence prevention ever, and the instruction that federal agencies use existing discretionary funds to assist community violence intervention programs right now as gun violence rages in communities across the country. The funding increases and allotments demonstrate that President Biden understands that solving gun violence will require a comprehensive approach. His increases in community violence prevention funding builds upon his prior commitments, while his calls for increases to DOJ programs will help states and local governments improve their background check systems and implement novel gun safety regimes.

Brady applauds President Biden for his inclusion of these essential funds in his budget and calls on Congress to preserve President Biden’s proposals in a final budget deal to ensure that the President’s vision for and commitment to American communities becomes reality.”

About the Funds in President Biden’s Proposed Budget:

President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget includes new funding and funding increases to combat our nation’s gun violence epidemic as the public health crisis that it is. The Budget includes $2.1 billion, an increase of $232 million above the 2021 enacted level, for DOJ to address the gun violence public health crisis plaguing communities across the Nation. This level supports existing programs to improve background check systems and invests in new programs to incentivize state adoption of gun licensing laws and establish voluntary gun buyback pilot programs. Combined, the requests for DOJ and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) include $200 million to support a new Community Violence Intervention initiative to implement evidence-based community violence interventions locally. This funding is an addition to the American Jobs Plan’s $5 billion over eight years investment in community violence interventions to address the increase in homicides disproportionately affecting Black and brown Americans.

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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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