On Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) removed former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's advisory from their website that declared gun violence as a public health crisis in the United States. HHS stated that they made this decision in compliance with President Trump's Executive Order on Protecting Second Amendment Rights, which he signed last month. When Trump initially signed this EO, the Coalition noted that "while the long-term impact of the order remains to be seen, the short-term impact of this order is profound... As it doubles down on protecting gun rights, there is no mention of protecting our populace from gun violence and no empathy expressed for survivors."
Last year's groundbreaking advisory from the Surgeon General contained a comprehensive review of the scientific data. It declared that gun violence in the United States was a public health crisis that required a federal cross-departmental response, and called for increased funding of community-based violence intervention programs and initiatives that addressed its root causes.
Removing this report from the HHS website represents a deeply concerning trend of shuttering federal government websites that contain critical data and research. It also continues the reversal of the Biden administration's public health approach to gun violence prevention, following the closing of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention in January. By signaling that this administration will not use federal resources to address gun violence as a public health emergency, recent gains made in reducing gun violence rates across the country are in danger of reversal. Lives are literally on the line.
At the Coalition, we know that the work we do at the state and local level matters more than ever right now. And that we must use a public health lens to address this crisis. As federal sources of information become more challenging to access, the Coalition is committed to making sure that our community has access to reliable public health data and evidence-based research to address gun violence in communities throughout Massachusetts.
Many thanks to our national partner and member organization Giffords for downloading the complete Surgeon General advisory before it was removed, and making it publicly available. HHS may have removed it from their website, but the document is still critically important and the facts remain the same. This report is a blueprint for change, and the Coalition will continue to use it to inform our public education, legislative advocacy and community organizing work going forward.
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