Embattled Biden Nominee For ATF Gets Boost From Health Care Providers
Many health care providers are urging that the nation consider gun violence a public health issue, and one group representing doctors, nurses and hospitals called for the Senate to confirm Steve Dettlebach as the head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. At the same time, negotiations in the Senate on new gun safety restrictions continue slowly.
Bloomberg:
Doctors, Nurses Plead For ATF's Dettelbach Confirmation Slowed By Republicans
A coalition of doctors, hospitals and nurses called on the Senate to confirm President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with some arguing the agency is an urgent priority following a string of horrific mass shootings. Eight medical organizations issued endorsements for the nominee, Steve Dettelbach, on Monday in letters obtained by Bloomberg News. But the ATF has long gone without a Senate-confirmed leader because of political disputes over guns between Republicans and Democrats. (Wingrove, 6/6)
Fierce Healthcare:
Healthcare Access, Gun Control Top Of Mind For Doctors: Survey
U.S. physicians rank healthcare access, substance abuse and racial disparities as the leading social issues facing the country, followed closely by gun control and climate change. A strong majority, 85%, cited healthcare access as their most important concern, followed by substance/opioid abuse (66%), racial disparities (54%), gun control (53%) and climate change (51%), according to a new Medscape survey. Nearly all the doctors surveyed say they support gun background checks, and a majority are in favor of abortion access with some restrictions by trimester. (Kreimer, 6/6)
PBS NewsHour:
Why Doctors Are Calling Gun Violence In The U.S. An Epidemic
Gun violence ripped through multiple communities last weekend, with dozens killed or injured in shootings nationwide. A growing number of health care providers say gun violence is a public health issue. Dr. Joseph Sakran, a trauma surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore who survived a life-threatening gunshot wound as a teenager, joins John Yang to discuss. (6/6)
KOIN6:
'Public Health Emergency:' Local Doctors, Faith Leaders Call For Gun Reform
Northwest doctors and faith leaders told KOIN 6 Monday that they view the country’s gun crisis as a “public health emergency” and are calling for action. “It is a public health emergency that needs to be addressed with public health measures,” said Mike Sinanan, the President of the Washington State Medical Association. We believe common-sense measures to reduce the availability of guns to the wrong people is a critical step in handling this public health emergency.” (Burch, 6/6)
In related news from New York —
Crain's New York Business:
New York Hospitals Expand Gun Violence Prevention Efforts
New York hospitals and health systems are launching and expanding their own violence intervention programs, leveraging their role as trauma responders to not only heal gunshot wounds but use public health measures to prevent them in the first place. Public health research into gun violence has historically been limited, due to a move by Congress in the 1990s that restricted federal agencies from using funding for injury prevention and control to advocate or promote gun control. But hospitals and health systems are fighting back with efforts to reframe gun violence as a public health issue, pointing to a recent spate of mass shootings across the U.S. and new federal data that found guns were the leading cause of death in 2020 for children between the ages of 1 and 19. (Kaufman, 6/6)
WXXI News:
Three Weeks After Buffalo Mass Shooting, Hochul Signs Gun Bills Into Law
Three weeks and two days after the mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed 10 gun control bills into law, including raising the age to buy a semi-automatic rifle from 18 to 21. Hochul’s hometown of Buffalo is grieving in the aftermath of the racist shooting at the Tops market that killed 10 African Americans on May 14. “I’m speaking to you today as the governor of a state in mourning,” Hochul said. “And the citizen of a nation in crisis.” The bills are aimed at closing some loopholes that allowed the alleged 18-year-old gunman to evade the state’s red flag laws and purchase a semi-automatic rifle and body armor. (DeWitt, 6/6)
On gun legislation efforts from Capitol Hill —
The Hill:
Senators Say They Need More Time On Gun Talks
Senate negotiators say they are making progress toward a deal to address gun violence, but they aren’t there yet. Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), the lead Republican negotiator, on Monday said negotiators are “hovering above the target” but haven’t nailed down anything. Cornyn said negotiators need at least another week to resolve their differences and urged Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who has warned he will only give negotiators a short period of time to reach a deal, not to rush anything to the floor. (Bolton, 6/6)
CBS News:
Cornyn Says He's "Optimistic" There Are "60 Plus" Votes For Gun Legislation
Sen. John Cornyn said Monday he's "optimistic" there will be "60 plus" votes on gun control legislation a bipartisan group of senators has been negotiating. That would be enough to overcome a filibuster and send a bill to the floor. The Texas Republican is part of the group trying to craft a measure in the wake of deadly shootings last month in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas. (6/7)
The New York Times:
With Cornyn In The Room, Senate Gun Talks Focus On Narrow Changes
With those discussions reaching a critical stage, [Texas Senator John] Cornyn is playing a familiar role: the conservative Republican in a room of centrists who can make or break an agreement — and has both sides guessing, to some degree, over which it will be. His presence at the talks — for which he was handpicked by Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the minority leader — means that the far-reaching gun control measures that President Biden and top Democrats are seeking are off the table from the start. (Hulse, 6/6)
The Hill:
Illinois Democrat Hopes Uvalde Survivor’s Testimony Will ‘Change Hearts And Minds’ On Gun Control
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) said in a new interview that he hopes the testimony of an Uvalde fourth grade student who survived the school shooting by pretending to be dead will help sway public opinion on gun control. Miah Cerrillo, an 11-year-old student from Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, is one of nine individuals scheduled to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday, according to a Friday announcement. (Rai, 6/6)
In related news from Florida —
AP:
Defense Attorneys In Florida School Shooting Try To Withdraw
The public defenders representing Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz tried to withdraw from his death penalty trial Monday after the judge ordered them to move forward with jury selection even though one member of their five-member team is sick with COVID-19. (Spencer, 6/6)
