FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doctors for America
PO Box 53313
1921 Florida Ave NW
Washington, DC 20009-9997
March 15, 2023
Executive Order on Gun Violence Prevention
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As physicians who witness the devastating impacts of gun violence on a daily basis, we at Doctors of America stand behind President Biden’s Executive Order of March 14th, 2023 to reduce gun violence and make communities safer. Firearm-related deaths continue to rise, with homicide rates in 2022 the highest they have been in 25 years; over half of all suicides in 2022 involved a firearm. Firearms also are the number one cause of death in children in the United States.
As healthcare providers, we have a moral obligation to speak out against the preventable deaths and injuries caused by gun violence. We support the President’s efforts to increase the number of background checks required for firearm purchases. We also commend the President’s call to improve public awareness, especially with regards to safe storage of firearms, and use of extreme risk protection orders. We also strongly support holding the gun industry accountable for the misuse of their products and commend the additional steps that continue to make our communities safer, especially supporting those communities that are heavily impacted by gun violence.
We urge all members of Congress to follow President Biden’s lead and to take meaningful action to reduce gun violence by banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, closing the dating violence restraining order loophole, and repealing gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability.
We stand by all organizations that are committed to helping with these initiatives. Together, we can work towards a safer, healthier future for all Americans.
About Doctors for America:
Doctors for America (DFA) mobilizes doctors and medical students to be leaders in putting patients over politics to improve the health of our patients, communities, and nation. DFA is an organization of over 27,000 physician and medical student advocates in all 50 states, representing all areas of specialization. DFA teaches physicians and medical students advocacy skills and does advocacy at a state and federal level. Our impact areas focus on access to affordable care, community health and prevention, and health justice and equity. DFA focuses solely on what is best for our patients, not on the business side of medicine, and does not accept any funding from pharmaceutical or medical device companies, which uniquely positions DFA as the organization that puts patients over politics and patients over profits.
Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on Twitter @drsforamerica.