House Dems propose $50 million to study gun violence prevention

House Democrats on Monday proposed $50 million in funding for federal agencies to study gun violence prevention.

A draft measure released by House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) calls for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health to study firearm injury and mortality prevention.

If passed, it would mark the first time in more than 20 years that the spending bill has included funding for this type of research.

{mosads}The funding will “ensure the CDC can conduct scientific research to reduce injuries and save lives from gun violence,” Lowey said in a statement.

It’s unclear whether the Republican-controlled Senate would approve legislation that provides funding to study gun violence.

Congress stopped this type of research funding in 1996 when lawmakers first passed what’s known as the Dickey Amendment, which prohibits the CDC from using federal funds to advocate for gun control.

The amendment had a chilling effect on government research, and Democrats have tried for years to repeal it.

But now that the Democrats are back in the House majority, they have left the amendment in place in an effort to garner broad support for gun violence prevention research.