FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY
Joint Economic Committee Vice Chair Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) on Wednesday, September 18 will discuss gun violence during a 10:00 a.m. press conference and a 2:15 p.m. hearing, both in Washington, DC.
The press conference will focus on the impacts of gun violence, and it will include release of a report on the high cost of gun violence, both human and economic, in the United States – with data on all 50 states.
Gun violence in the United States costs more than $200 billion annually. The report finds that it takes a greater toll on rural states, which bear the highest per capita economic costs. States with high rates of gun ownership experience the highest rates of gun suicide. The release of these findings coincides with Suicide Prevention Month.
Rep. Maloney will speak, followed by Lori Haas, mother of a survivor of the Virginia Tech massacred and Senior Director of Advocacy for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. Adam Skaggs, Policy Director of the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, will also speak.
The press conference will be in room HVC-201-AB, which is in the House side of the Capitol Visitor Center.
PRESS CONFERENCE
WHO: Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Vice Chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee
Adams Skaggs, Policy Director, Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence
Lori Haas, Mother of survivor of Virginia Tech massacre, Senior Director of Advocacy for
the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
WHERE: House Visitors Center, room HVC-201-AB
WHEN: Wednesday, September 18, 10:00 am
HEARING
The JEC hearing, “Gun Violence in America: Understanding and Reducing the Costs of Firearm Injuries and Deaths,” will take place at 2:15 p.m. in 210 Cannon House Office Building. A live stream of the hearing will be available on the Committee website: https://www.jec.senate.gov/.
Hearing Witnesses:
Mr. Adam Skaggs, Chief Counsel & Policy Director
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence
New York, NY
Ms. Tina Meins, Member
Everytown Survivor Network
Washington, DC
Dr. John Lott, Jr., President
Crime Prevention Research Center
Alexandria, VA
Dr. Suzanna Hupp
Former Member of the Texas House of Representatives
Lampasas Co., Texas
Hearing Background:
The witnesses invited by Vice Chair Maloney—Mr. Skaggs and Ms. Meins—will focus on the high economic, social and personal costs of gun violence and the need to change laws to change results.
Mr. Skaggs will discuss the economic costs of gun violence and advocate for changes to federal laws. Ms. Meins, whose father was killed in the 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, will share her family’s experience after the tragedy and the costs and obstacles they have faced.
Republican witnesses are expected to claim that Democratic proposals will make citizens less safe. Dr. Lott wrote the book “More Guns, Less Crime,” and Dr. Hupp is a survivor of the Luby’s Cafeteria mass shooting in Texas in 1991.
WHO: U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, Members and witnesses
WHERE: Room 210, Cannon House Office Building
WHEN: Wednesday, September 18, 2019, 2:15 pm
Contact: Randy_Woods@jec.senate.gov. Please contact Randy if you want embargoed testimony.
