WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, on Tuesday released the following statement on the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vital Signs analysis, which found firearm homicide rates increased 35 percent from 2019 to 2020 to a 25-year high:

“This new CDC report confirms what we already knew: it’s no coincidence that when gun sales spiked in 2020, so did gun homicides. This uniquely American carnage is preventable, and it's time for my colleagues to stop standing by and doing nothing,” said Murphy. “The gun violence epidemic is a public health crisis, and I’m glad we’re finally treating it that way by investing in CDC research to better understand the root causes and best practices for prevention programs. But we also need a strong ATF to combat this rise in gun crimes and that starts with confirming a director. The Senate must move forward with Steve Dettelbach’s nomination as soon as possible.”  

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