Washington, DC – Today, Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA-06) joined Representatives Steven Horsford (D-NV-04), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE-AL), Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Joe Neguse (D-CO-02), and Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC-06) to introduce the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, legislation that will help build safer, thriving communities and save lives by investing in effective community-based violence reduction initiatives. The bill’s sponsors held a press conference today to announce the bill and highlight stories of devastating loss to gun violence. The video of the press conference is available to watch here.
The introduction of the Break the Cycle of Violence Act follows President Biden’s announcement on Wednesday about new investments to address violent crime and keep communities safe.
“While the pain and hurt of the COVID-19 pandemic begins to fade into the past, America’s return to normal has seen the devastating reemergence of the horror and agony gun violence brings to our families and our communities. Now, parents across America are terrified that they will send their children off to school and never see them come home—terrified that they will one day be me,” said McBath. “Gun violence is in every corner of our country. And not one family, not one community, is immune to it. Parents and children; educators and public health experts; all have said enough is enough. Together, we must Break the Cycle of violence that is killing our children and ripping apart our families.”
In 2020, the United States suffered the largest single-year spike in homicides on record, driven largely by record spikes in fatal shootings. Nationwide, 75 percent of all homicides are committed with a gun. In studies of some urban hospitals, researchers have found that up to 45 percent of patients treated for injuries like gunshots were violently reinjured within five years, disproportionately young people of color. The federal Break the Cycle of Violence Act proposes to authorize $6.5 billion over 8 years to invest in effective community-based violence intervention programs and provide jobs to opportunity youth between the ages of 16-24. Companion legislation was introduced by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ).