This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1 ALDERSON COURT REPORTING
2 MARVIN OLTMAN
3 HIF276140
4 A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS: THE GUN VIOLENCE EPIDEMIC IN AMERICA
5 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2019
6 House of Representatives
7 Committee on Energy and Commerce
8 Subcommittee on Health
9 Washington, D.C.
10 The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 9:35 a.m., in
11 Great Hall at Kennedy King College, 6301 South Halsted
12 Street, Chicago, IL, Hon. Anna G. Eshoo, [chairwoman of the
13 subcommittee] presiding.
14 Present: Representatives Eshoo, Rush, Schakowsky,
15 Butterfield, Clarke, Kelly, and Kinzinger.
16 Also Present: Representatives Davis and Garcia.
17 Staff Present: Stephen Holland, Health Counsel; John
18 Marshall, Policy Coordinator; CJ Young, Press Secretary;
19 Rebecca Tomilchik, Hearing Clerk; Aisling McDonough, Policy
20 Coordinator; Robyn Wheeler-Grange, District Director, Office This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
21 of Hon. Bobby L. Rush; Yardly Pollas, Chief of Staff, Hon.
22 Bobby L. Rush; Jeremy Edwards, Communications Director, Hon.
23 Bobby L. Rush; Lauren Citron, Legislative Analyst, Hon. Bobby
24 L. Rush; Nishith Pandya, Legislative Director, Hon. Bobby L.
25 Rush; Michael Brady, Press Assistant, Office of Hon. Anna
26 Eshoo; Osaremen Okolo, Health Policy Advisor, Office of Hon.
27 Jan Schakowsky; and Kristen Shatynski, Minority Professional
28 Staff Member..; Paul Laurie, Minority Legislative Analyst,
29 Office of Hon. Adam Kinzinger; Austin Weatherford, Minority
30 Chief of Staff, Office of Hon. Adam Kinzinger; and Lanette
31 Garcia, Legislative Assistant, Office of Hon. Chuy Garcia.
32 This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
33 Ms. Eshoo. Good morning, everyone.
34 The Subcommittee on Health will now come to order.
35 Before we begin, per an agreement between the majority and
36 the minority, I would like to ask for unanimous consent for
37 the House members who are with us today who are not members
38 of the committee, that they be recognized for three minutes
39 to ask questions after committee members have asked theirs.
40 And note, only committee members will be allowed to make
41 opening statements. Hearing no objections, so ordered.
42 The chair now recognizes herself for five minutes for an
43 opening statement. First of all, thank you everyone for
44 being here this morning. It is an honor for those of us that
45 are not from Chicago to be here.
46 I am Anna Eshoo. I have the honor of chairing this
47 subcommittee and I have many relatives in Chicago. So this
48 is -- this is the Midwestern part of my family and it is an
49 honor to be here with my colleagues on a very serious issue.
50 This is the very first Energy and Commerce Committee
51 hearing on the gun violence epidemic in our country as a
52 public health issue and this subcommittee has jurisdiction
53 over public health issues in our country.
54 I want to recognize first the members of the committee
55 who represent parts of Chicago and the region, starting with
56 Congressman Bobby Rush, whose district we are in.
57 Thank you, Bobby, very much for inviting us -- asking This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
58 the subcommittee to come here.
59 Congresswoman Robin Kelly, who is here to my left,
60 Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky from the Chicago region, and to
61 Representative Adam Kinzinger, who is also a representative
62 here from the state of Illinois, a little farther away -- I
63 think next door to Robin.
64 Mr. Kinzinger. Yeah. Yeah.
65 Ms. Eshoo. And Mr. Kinzinger makes this hearing a
66 bipartisan hearing, and we are grateful to him for being here
67 today for his leadership and the leadership of each member
68 that is here today.
69 We are also grateful to have with us, and we welcome our
70 congressional colleagues who are guests of the committee
71 today, Representative Danny Davis, whom I always say is the
72 voice of God when you --
73 [Laughter.]
74 Mr. Rush. Yeah.
75 Ms. Eshoo. -- hear that magnificent voice of his, and
76 Chuy Garcia, who is here, the vice chair of the Energy and
77 Commerce Committee, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, and I
78 already mentioned Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.
79 Now, on this -- on the subject matter that is before us
80 today, it is important to note that 100 Americans are killed
81 by a gun and hundreds more are shot and injured every day in
82 our country. Millions of Americans have watched in horror to This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
83 see the shootings and the massacres that have taken place in
84 our country.
85 They have watched families bury their loved ones, and
86 there are too many that live in fear of what could happen
87 next and some are here with us today.
88 They are in the audience, they are at the witness table,
89 and they are on the dais as members of Congress. Congressman
90 Rush buried his son as a result of gun violence.
91 I think this collective heartbreak will move us to work
92 with real purpose. We are here to treat American gun
93 violence for what it is -- an epidemic.
94 And to treat an epidemic we have to study it, we have to
95 understand what works to prevent it, and we need to learn how
96 to treat the trauma that is caused by it.
97 We know that a public health approach can work.
98 Consider anti-smoking efforts or preventing injuries from car
99 crashes. We have achieved life-saving results through
100 funding data analysis, encouraging research, and adopting
101 common sense product improvements with these epidemics.
102 Another simple, yet profound and proven method is
103 listening to people from the communities most affected by an
104 epidemic and the public health it represents.
105 We are here in Chicago's South Side where so many have
106 lived with the epidemic of gun violence and for decades.
107 Thank you, again, Congressman Rush, for inviting our This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
108 committee to hold this hearing in your district and for your
109 years of work to address gun violence.
110 The gun Gun homicide is the leading cause of death for
111 African-American boys and men ages 15 to 34 and it is the
112 second leading cause of death for Hispanic boys and men ages
113 15 to 34 as well.
114 African-American men make up 52 percent of all gun
115 homicide victims despite only being 7 percent of the
116 population of our country.
117 Compared to the rate of gun homicides for white boys and
118 men of the same ages, the rate for African Americans is 21
119 times greater and the rate for Hispanic men is nearly four
120 times greater.
121 Notably, the communities most impacted by gun violence
122 are the most knowledgeable about how to treat it and prevent
123 it.
124 It is why our witnesses include Mr. Spencer Leak, Sr.,
125 owner of a family-run funeral home in the Chatham
126 neighborhood, who has comforted hundreds if not thousands of
127 families whose loved ones have been killed by a gun.
128 It is why we are listening to Pastor Brenda Mitchell and
129 Mr. Norman Kerr, who have taken their experiences with gun
130 violence and used them to promote common sense, evidence-
131 based policies.
132 And it is why we are hearing from the physicians who This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
133 work every day to heal the physical, mental, and generational
134 trauma from shootings and who see the bodies that are ravaged
135 by gun violence.
136 Today's hearing will not be enough to stop the daily
137 violence. But we can broaden our understanding of how best
138 to treat this epidemic and provide resources for public
139 health research.
140 I am proud that the House voted to provide $50 million
141 for gun violence research at the CDC and the NIH, and the
142 Senate needs to do the same.
143 I want to thank Congresswoman Robin Kelly, a leader on
144 the issue of gun violence and for introducing --
145 [Applause.]
146 Ms. Eshoo. Sure, you can applaud. Every member
147 welcomes that. It is a validation of our work.
148 I want to thank her for introducing H.R. 1114, and this
149 is legislation that requires the U.S. Surgeon General to
150 provide an annual report to Congress on the public health
151 impacts and the -- you can applaud -- and the costs of gun
152 violence in America.
153 And I hope that our hearing today helps that bill come
154 closer to become law. So thank you, Congresswoman Robin
155 Kelly.
156 Again, I thank each of my congressional colleagues. It
157 is a special honor to join with you here today in Chicago. I This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
158 want to thank each one of our witnesses for your
159 professionalism and your willingness to be here with us
160 today, and everyone else that has joined us. Those that are
161 in the audience, thank you for being here today.
162 Collectively, I think your presence and your testimony
163 is going to fuel our action.
164 I know have the privilege of recognizing the gentleman
165 from Illinois, Mr. Rush, for his opening statement.
166 Mr. Rush. I want to thank you, Madam Chairman, and my
167 friend from the great state of California. You and I were
168 sworn in together in Congress back in January of 1993, and we
169 have enjoyed each other and had our -- and had -- our
170 friendship has flowed all the way to this day and including
171 this day.
172 I want to thank you for convening this important hearing
173 and discussion right here in my district in the Kennedy King
174 College.
175 Kennedy King College is, in some sense, apropos for a
176 discussion on nonviolence in that both the John F. Kennedy
177 and Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was
178 killed by gun violence.
179 Gun violence, Madam Chairman, is indeed a national
180 epidemic. Gun violence undermines the public health and the
181 public safety of all of our communities.
182 This epidemic has had painful consequences for far too This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
183 many families here in Chicago including my own family. Far
184 too many families in my district and similarly situated
185 districts all across the country have been -- have felt this
186 painful consequences.
187 Madam Chairman, you mentioned my son, whose name was
188 Huey. Huey's murder was 10 years ago this very month. The
189 anniversary of his murder was October 31st.
190 So we are -- 10 years later we are still fighting, still
191 wanting to try to resolve this matter of -- this epidemic of
192 gun violence in our nation.
193 Madam Chair, way back in 2017 I started calling more
194 hearings such as this to take place here in my district.
195 Important conversations are going on in Washington, D.C.
196 But just as important if not more so is that we are
197 having these conversations right here in a community that for
198 too long has felt the pain of this epidemic.
199 It is for this very reason that I am pleased that we are
200 finally convening today this hearing to discuss this public
201 health crisis, this epidemic of gun violence.
202 And I want to thank all of my colleagues on both sides
203 of the aisle for being here today and I want to thank the
204 witnesses who have come out at their own expense, sacrificing
205 their own time and resources, to bear testimony at this
206 hearing.
207 And, Madam Chairman, I am confident that during today's This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
208 hearing we will be able to shine a light on the public health
209 impacts -- the public health impacts of gun violence and I am
210 optimistic that we will walk away and conclude this hearing
211 with tangible ideas and solutions that will protect our
212 communities in the future from this widespread and totally
213 unrecognized epidemic.
214 This epidemic gun violence is not just a law enforcement
215 issue, Madam Chairman. It is a health care crisis in our
216 nation, and as you stated earlier, it is an epidemic that we
217 must address as an epidemic in our federal government.
218 Madam Chairman, I look forward -- Madame Chairwoman, I
219 look forward to hearing from today's witnesses and, with that
220 said, I ask for unanimous consent to insert in the record the
221 testimony of an individual who appeared at a hearing that I
222 had in Washington.
223 That was an unofficial hearing but I had a hearing at
224 the Library of Congress almost two years ago and where Dr.
225 Maevin Rainey, an emergency physician, a violence prevention
226 leader, and the chief research officer of affirmed research
227 in the country's only nonprofit institution dedicated to
228 solving gun violence through the public health approach.
229 Madam Chairman, I want to submit with unanimous consent
230 her testimony for the record.
231 Ms. Eshoo. So ordered.
232 [The information follows:] This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
233 Mr. Rush. And, Madam Chairman, with that, I yield back
234 the balance of my time and, again, thank you for your
235 participating and your leadership on this and on the issue in
236 our Congress.
237 Ms. Eshoo. The gentleman yields back.
238 Let me just say on behalf of my colleagues we are all
239 very, very grateful to the faculty, to the entire team here
240 at Kennedy King, for your hospitality, for your warm welcome,
241 for the coffee when we came through the door and had this
242 morning.
243 Let me just say that the two words, Kennedy and King,
244 will always be a source of inspiration to each one of us and
245 how fitting it is that we are having this hearing in an
246 institution of learning.
247 It is now my pleasure to recognize the gentleman from
248 Illinois, Adam Kinzinger, for his five minutes and his
249 opening statement.
250 Mr. Kinzinger. Well, good morning, everybody, and for
251 our witnesses, thank you very much for being here.
252 Chairwoman Eshoo, thank you for making the trip, and to all
253 my colleagues, I really appreciate you all being here.
254 I may be outnumbered today but I assure you there is a
255 100 percent turnout of Republicans from northern Illinois.
256 [Laughter.]
257 Mr. Kinzinger. So yeah. Let me -- This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
258 [Applause.]
259 Mr. Kinzinger. One of the -- one of the other things I
260 want to make very clear, because you don't get to see this a
261 lot when you watch TV and stuff, most of us here -- I think
262 all of us get along really well. We actually respect each
263 other.
264 Unfortunately, you just see the times we argue and
265 debate and you assume that it is like that all the time. We
266 actually like each other, and if I don't like somebody it is
267 not because of their politics. It is maybe because they are
268 a jerk. But nobody here fits that bill.
269 But I think that is important for me because I want to
270 say this. You know, I think when we get into these debates,
271 whether it is guns or gun violence, a lot of the times both
272 sides just retreat to their corner and mistrust each other in
273 a conversation and they assume the worst of what folks are
274 saying and in some cases people may mean the worst when they
275 make a position.
276 But I think this is -- while we are never going to agree
277 at whatever the end result is in the near future, I think
278 there is a lot of areas we can agree and I think if we can
279 begin to talk to each other again and respect each other
280 again and listen to each other again, I think we will be able
281 to make some progress and that is why I am here.
282 I am actually here not to debate my points and not to This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
283 argue. I am here to listen. I am here to listen to the
284 people of this community, to learn more about what is working
285 and what more we can do at the federal level to help remedy
286 some of these issues.
287 You know, whether it is a small town or a big city
288 across the nation, Americans are terrified by the mass
289 shootings they have seen that have, sadly, become a regular
290 occurrence.
291 Too often, though, our attention to gun-related violence
292 focuses more on the mass shootings and hardly any goes to the
293 steady devastating strings of violence in daily killings that
294 happen here in Chicago and elsewhere, and frankly, I am
295 horrified each week when I see the number of people shot or
296 killed over the weekend in Chicago or when I get a
297 notification on my phone about an active shooter. This is
298 our community and we need to work together to stop this
299 violence.
300 As a congressman, I feel the heat on all ends of this
301 debate, as all my colleagues do here, and I see the validity
302 of both sides of the conversation.
303 We, clearly, have a gun violence epidemic here in
304 America and I want to work with my colleagues on both sides
305 of the aisle to find solutions that will reduce suicides,
306 drug-related violence, gang violence, and mass shootings.
307 While the larger gun debate continues, I believe there This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
308 are many areas we can find agreement and it is our duty to do
309 so. And today I look forward to hearing from our
310 distinguished panel of witnesses about what more we can do to
311 address this problem.
312 During this hearing I am interested in discussing the
313 community aspect of the gun violence crisis. I believe this
314 component is at the heart of a lot of issues we face.
315 I know there have been community initiatives in Chicago
316 including job training, youth-based programs and support
317 groups, which have made a significant impact.
318 These programs that are often formed by the community
319 and for the community have shown how critical of a role
320 communities can play in addressing this crisis.
321 We really need to make sure we are paying attention to
322 these programs and replicate them when they are successful.
323 I am also interested in the mental health aspect of gun
324 violence and what we can do in Congress to ensure we provide
325 the tools necessary to address this component of the problem
326 such as improving access to community health centers and
327 those needing medical help.
328 But we can't legislate a heart and that is where
329 community and religious organizations come into play. They
330 can help guide and give people hope for a better future.
331 If you don't have hope and you don't have any reason to
332 follow a moral code or fear the results of your action, This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
333 tragedy, in many cases, follows.
334 Desperation can be a dangerous trigger, and to the
335 extent we can work on helping and healing those who are
336 struggling and end the stigma of discussing and facing mental
337 illness in this country, I fear things may only get worse.
338 In discussing the desperation and hopelessness, we come
339 to the issue of suicide. In 2017, 60 percent of gun-related
340 deaths were suicides, and here in Illinois one person dies by
341 suicide every six hours.
342 In the age of technology and instant gratification, more
343 and more people are feeling less connected. They feel
344 isolated and hopeless, and it is an issue we need to resolve
345 as a society.
346 Kids today feel that their self-worth depends on the
347 number of likes or comments or snaps they get in a given day,
348 and that is a concern to me.
349 So as we get into these different issues surrounding gun
350 violence, I want to reiterate it is a complex problem that
351 requires comprehensive holistic approach.
352 I am grateful to our subcommittee for holding this
353 hearing today and especially to our panelists for being here
354 to share their experience, their expertise, and insight as we
355 look at the root cause of this violence and work together to
356 find real solutions to address the gun violence epidemic.
357 With that, I yield back. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
358 Ms. Eshoo. The gentleman yields back.
359 It is now -- the chair would like to recognize Mr.
360 Butterfield, the vice chairman of the full committee, for his
361 five minutes for an opening statement. A pleasure to
362 recognize you.
363 Mr. Butterfield. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I
364 know Ms. Clarke may not take too kindly to that. She is the
365 vice chair of the full committee. I am vice chair of the
366 subcommittee. Thank you.
367 Ms. Eshoo. You just got a raise.
368 Mr. Butterfield. I know. Thank you.
369 [Laughter.]
370 Mr. Butterfield. But let me -- let me join Congressman
371 Rush and Congressman Kinzinger for -- join with them in
372 thanking you for your incredible work on this subcommittee.
373 You promised us months ago that you would have this
374 field hearing and you have fulfilled that commitment and so
375 we thank you very much.
376 It is good to be with my colleagues, particularly those
377 from Illinois, and my good friend, Bobby Rush, who sits to my
378 right, and I understand that we are physically in your
379 congressional district. So thank you for your work.
380 Madam Chair, the gun violence epidemic in America can no
381 longer be ignored. We must treat this epidemic for what it
382 is. It is a public health crisis and that is why we are here This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
383 today.
384 Democrats in the House recognize this crisis and we are
385 determined -- yes, we are -- we are determined to take some
386 action.
387 With that said, Madam Chair, I would like to yield two
388 minutes to my friend from Illinois, Congresswoman Kelly.
389 Ms. Eshoo. Are you yielding?
390 Mr. Butterfield. I was going to yield Congresswoman
391 Kelly some time if she is not on the schedule to do an
392 opening statement.
393 She is on the schedule? Reclaiming my time.
394 [Laughter.]
395 Ms. Eshoo. Now, don't lose the time.
396 Mr. Butterfield. I just didn't want to -- I just didn't
397 want to leave my friend out -- Ms. Kelly -- because she works
398 so hard. But for too long, Madam Chair, we have handcuffed
399 the federal government from researching the affliction of gun
400 violence in America and its impacts on public health.
401 We need to marshal the resources of the Department of
402 Health and Human Services and the CDC to know the impact --
403 the huge impact that gun violence is having on kids right
404 here in Chicago and our neighbors all across the country.
405 We need to know how they will be impacted throughout
406 their lives after they witness their loved ones get gunned
407 down in the streets or committing suicide with the assistance This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
408 of a firearm.
409 We need to know why the homicide rate in America is more
410 than 25 times the average of other developed nations. We are
411 going to face the gun violence epidemic head on and today's
412 hearing will help us in that fight.
413 I now want to yield time to Ms. Schakowsky since she is
414 on the second tier. But she is nonetheless a very strong and
415 forceful leader in this area.
416 Ms. Schakowsky?
417 Ms. Schakowsky. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
418 So we heard that number -- an average of a hundred
419 people a day. That adds up. If you multiply it by 265,
420 36,500 people a year dying from guns. In Chicago, as of
421 Sunday 2,101 people shot and 382 killed.
422 This is a crisis. It demands a sense of urgency right
423 now. We are raising the profile right now today but we need
424 action.
425 So, you know, in Chicago and in Illinois we have good
426 laws on guns. But 60 percent of the guns that come into our
427 state come from other states across the border.
428 You can go to Indiana on a weekend and go to a gun show,
429 open up your trunk, and load up that car with any kind of gun
430 that you want and drive across the border. We don't stop
431 people.
432 I want to thank not only our panel, but I see people in This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
433 the audience with red shirts, moms against gun violence, moms
434 -- thank you so much.
435 [Applause.]
436 Ms. Schakowsky. I see people that are here that want to
437 help us. They deserve our help. And on the panel, let me
438 just thank Pastor Mitchell especially because of the feeling
439 of a mom, not only as an expert now, on this to bring that.
440 And I want to -- Mr. Leak, a friend of mine -- when we
441 are talking about the number of people killed, I said think
442 about if it were a virus what would we be doing.
443 We would be searching for that, and he said, well, what
444 about if it were terrorism, he said, we would be at war.
445 This is a war that we have to win. Children are hiding
446 in bathtubs in their homes to seek refuge from gun -- from
447 bullets that may come through.
448 So this is an opportunity and an obligation today to
449 actually move ahead.
450 Thank you. I yield back. I thank the gentleman for
451 yielding to me.
452 Mr. Butterfield. Thank you. Madam Chair, I yield back.
453 [Applause.]
454 Ms. Eshoo. The gentleman yields back.
455 I now would like to recognize the gentlewoman from
456 Illinois, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, for her statement, and
457 with thanks for your work as well. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
458 Ms. Kelly. Thank you, Chairwoman Eshoo, and thank you
459 for your leadership in this area and I want to welcome all of
460 my colleagues to Chicago and thank all of the witnesses for
461 taking their time to be here.
462 But thank you for holding this important hearing on gun
463 violence as a public health crisis. Thank you to all of my
464 colleagues. As I said, really appreciate you being here. By
465 being here you are showing your commitment to solutions that
466 will end our nation's gun violence epidemic.
467 Congresswoman Schakowsky talked about the statistics --
468 over 35,000 people and the number of people in the Chicago
469 land area. Like nationwide statistics, a disproportionate
470 number of these victims are young African-American men.
471 Specific to the public health threat posed by gun violence, I
472 have introduced, as you have heard, H.R. 1114, legislation to
473 require the Surgeon General, our nation's doctor, to submit
474 an annual report on the impacts of gun violence on public
475 health.
476 In 1964, the Surgeon General issued this report,
477 "Smoking and Health." That report sparked a revolution in
478 thinking about tobacco use, smoking, and public health.
479 In 2019, it is time for this Surgeon General to issue a
480 report on gun violence. In addressing the public health
481 impacts of gun violence we cannot be limited to the immediate
482 impacts of bullets on the human body. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
483 We know that gun violence takes an emotional and
484 psychological toll on communities. In some parts of my
485 district young people experience levels of PTSD on par with
486 returning veterans because of regular gun violence.
487 Simply addressing easy access to guns will not solve all
488 the challenges in these communities. Decades of systemic
489 under investments and disinvestments in schools,
490 transportation, businesses, and public spaces coupled with
491 residential segregation by race has created a divided city --
492 a divided city in which gun violence is largely concentrated
493 in black and brown communities that are under served, under
494 resourced, and, for some, wary of law enforcement.
495 As a member of this subcommittee and chair of the
496 Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, I am dedicated
497 to finding solutions that improve the health of all
498 communities across the country. This includes preventing gun
499 violence.
500 As I said, gun violence impacts our society in various
501 ways and not only does it take a toll on our health care
502 system, it also negatively impacts our economics and reduces
503 worker productivity.
504 A recent study on gun violence found that loss of
505 quality of life, psychological and emotional trauma, decline
506 in property values, and other legal and societal consequences
507 stemming from gun violence costs an estimated $174 billion. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
508 Of that cost, the government directly absorbs $12
509 billion. Instead of using these funds to invest in our
510 communities, workers, and their families, these dollars are
511 bled away due to gun violence and its impacts.
512 I always say nothing stops a bullet like an opportunity.
513 In order to combat gun violence and help these communities
514 rebuild, they need investment.
515 In this Congress I have introduced several pieces of
516 legislation to improve economic opportunities in underserved
517 areas including Creating Pathways for Youth Employment Act,
518 Heroes for At-Risk Youth, and Community College to Career
519 Fund Act.
520 For the past several Congresses, I have also introduced
521 the Urban Progress Act that would also help to fill this void
522 in economic opportunities, strengthen police-community
523 relations, and promote common sense gun violence prevention
524 policies.
525 I look forward to the witnesses' testimony and, again,
526 welcome.
527 And I yield back.
528 Ms. Eshoo. The gentlewoman yields back.
529 The chair reminds members that pursuant to committee
530 rules all members' written opening statements shall be made
531 part of the record.
532 I now would like to introduce the witnesses for today's This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
533 hearing.
534 To my left, Pastor Brenda Mitchell. She is the mother
535 of Kenneth D. Mitchell, Jr. Welcome to you and thank you for
536 being here with us today.
537 Dr. Selwyn Rogers, Jr., chief, section for trauma and
538 acute care surgery, and founding director, the Trauma Center,
539 University of Chicago of Medicine. Welcome to you and thank
540 you for joining us here today.
541 Dr. Ronald Stewart, director of trauma programs,
542 American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. Traveled
543 from Texas to be with us here today.
544 Mr. Norman Kerr, director of violence prevention from
545 the city of Chicago -- thank you for joining us today.
546 Mr. Spencer Leak, Sr., the president and CEO of Leak and
547 Sons Funeral Home. He has a real story to tell.
548 And last but not least, Dr. Niva Lubin-Johnson,
549 immediate past president of the National Medical Association.
550 Thank you to you.
551 Thank you to each witness. We look forward to your
552 testimony and now, at this time, the chair recognizes each
553 witness for five minutes.
554 We will begin with Pastor Brenda Mitchell. I think that
555 you -- you are probably familiar. Do we have the lighting
556 system there?
557 Yeah. Green -- you know what green means. Yellow, This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
558 caution. When the red light comes on, full stop.
559 All right. You are probably wondering why that doesn't
560 apply to members of Congress.
561 [Laughter.]
562 Ms. Eshoo. But anyway, so thank you again and the chair
563 is pleased to recognize Pastor Brenda Mitchell for your five
564 minutes of testimony.
565 This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
566 STATEMENTS OF PASTOR BRENDA K. MITCHELL, MOTHER OF KENNETH D.
567 MITCHELL, JR.; SELWYN O. ROGERS, JR., M.D., M.P.H., CHIEF,
568 SECTION FOR TRAUMA AND ACUTE CARE SURGERY, FOUNDING DIRECTOR,
569 TRAUMA CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE; RONALD
570 STEWART, M.D., F.A.C.S., DIRECTOR OF TRAUMA PROGRAMS,
571 AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS COMMITTEE ON TRAUMA; NORMAN
572 KERR, DIRECTOR OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION, CITY OF CHICAGO;
573 SPENCER LEAK, SR., PRESIDENT AND CEO, LEAK AND SONS FUNERAL
574 HOME; NIVA LUBIN-JOHNSON, M.D., IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT,
575 NATIONAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
576 STATEMENT OF BRENDA MITCHELL
577 Pastor Mitchell. Thank you.
578 Good morning to this esteemed body, to every town's
579 survivor network for allowing me to be here, to the moms of
580 Mom Demand Action and Purpose Over Pain, whom has also given
581 me my voice. I also recognize Spencer Leak, Sr. --
582 Ms. Eshoo. Excuse me, Pastor. Can you move your
583 microphone much closer so we don't miss a word?
584 Pastor Mitchell. Okay. Am I good? There we go.
585 Ms. Eshoo. There. Better.
586 Pastor Mitchell. And I also recognize Spencer Leak,
587 Sr., who was the recipient of my son's burial service and
588 given me a voice also on black on black love. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
589 I am Pastor Brenda Mitchell. I live in University Park,
590 Illinois. I have lived and worked in the Chicago area most
591 of my life.
592 Today I am here as someone who has experienced two
593 family members taken by gun violence -- my brother and my
594 son. Today I am here as a voice for my son.
595 I am here as a voice for my community. I am here on
596 behalf of the hundreds of mothers who have had their children
597 torn from their lives by gun violence.
598 My son, Kenneth, was the center of our family. He was
599 the first grandchild on both sides of the family and became a
600 role model for his younger siblings and cousins.
601 At the age of 31, he was a single parent of two little
602 boys, eight and six, and another son who would be born 30
603 days after his death.
604 It was Super Bowl weekend. As the manager of a golf
605 center in University Park, he was hosting a Super Bowl party
606 on Sunday. His boys were with their mother so he took the
607 rare opportunity that evening to spend some time with friends
608 at a local sports bar playing darts and enjoying each other's
609 company.
610 As Kenneth was leaving, an argument broke out between
611 two individuals outside of the bar. Kenneth intervened,
612 attempting to diffuse the situation and make peace, when a
613 friend of one of the individuals went to his van, grabbed a This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
614 gun, and started randomly firing into the crowd.
615 Kenneth was struck by a stray bullet and killed. I
616 received a call in the middle of the night that no parent
617 wants to receive. I was told my son, Kenneth, had been hurt
618 in a shooting and he was lying at the scene with a sheet over
619 him.
620 I could not tell my husband his son, his namesake, our
621 first-born child, was dead. Earlier that day, I distinctly
622 remember feeling so satisfied with my life and I thanked God
623 for meeting my needs and the needs of my family. I could not
624 ask for anything.
625 Little did I realize that in less than 24 hours I would
626 have to ask God for strength.
627 After Kenneth's death, I felt for the first time in our
628 lives that my family was dysfunctional. My son was a crime
629 scene. I could not touch him. The pain was so intense that
630 I would not wish this experience on my own worst enemy.
631 Even worse was trying to navigate through it with no
632 resources. I was traumatized with nowhere to go.
633 Just a week before Kenneth's death, our younger son,
634 Kevin, left for his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. This
635 is the kind of things that a mother worries about.
636 I prayed for Kevin, placed him on the altar, and in my
637 mind he was the one who was in danger. I never would have
638 imagined Kenneth would be the one to die from an act of gun This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
639 violence right here at home in a free country.
640 A week later, I brought Kevin back to bury his brother
641 in a free country. My life shows that trauma. Post-
642 traumatic stress syndrome and grief have lasting effects in
643 the lives of those that are touched by gun violence.
644 However, I learned these terms and the impact on health.
645 Even if I didn't know what it was called, I knew how it felt
646 and I saw the effect it had on my life and the lives of
647 surviving family members.
648 My mother could not handle after losing her son, her
649 first grandson, to gun violence. After the death of her own
650 son, my mother willed herself out of her pain. She died from
651 a broken heart.
652 I, myself, had to leave a successful career because of
653 PTSD and trauma. I lost cognitive memory. I did not know my
654 phone number or the names of people very close to me.
655 I still struggle to recall the date of my son's death.
656 This is not because the date is not significant to me but
657 because it is a manifestation of that trauma.
658 I almost died three times with extreme hypertension and
659 narrowing of the arteries in my brain because of the level of
660 stress I was under. I was grieving for my son, raising my
661 grandsons left without their primary parent.
662 I had to look at my youngest grandson and know that he
663 would never meet his father. I had to recreate his father This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
664 for him. There are no words that communicate the depth of
665 that loss -- how many young men and women have we lost who
666 will never have the chance to reach their full potential.
667 Every day there are communities being shattered by the
668 devastation that is this crisis of gun violence. We have
669 children in Chicago who aren't worried about growing up to be
670 a doctor or a lawyer. They are just worried about growing
671 up, period.
672 That reality is unacceptable. In my own journey -- and
673 I am almost done -- I have come full circle. I identify with
674 the devastation families experience every day in our country
675 and in Chicago.
676 It has become my passion to help others understand how
677 trauma of gun violence can affect individuals and
678 communities. I have become an advocate for trauma-informed
679 care and I will do whatever I can to help others so that they
680 don't have to experience what I have gone through.
681 It is so important that families like mine who have been
682 deeply impacted by gun violence to keep telling their
683 stories. If we keep shining the light on the impact of gun
684 violence, then our children's deaths are no longer in vain.
685 I thank you for allowing me to humbly submit this
686 testimony.
687 [The prepared statement of Pastor Mitchell follows:]
688 This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
689 Ms. Eshoo. Pastor Mitchell --
690 [Applause.]
691 Ms. Eshoo. Pastor Mitchell, thank you for the courage
692 you have exhibited today in coming here to tell your story,
693 which is just riddled with just tremendous grief. Thank you.
694 We really hold you in our debt.
695 I now would like to recognize Dr. Selwyn Rogers, Jr.,
696 and thank you for being here today to be a witness. You have
697 five minutes for your testimony.
698 This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
699 STATEMENT OF SELWYN O. ROGERS, JR.
700 Dr. Rogers. Good morning. Thank you very much,
701 Chairwoman Eshoo, and the entire Subcommittee of Health. I
702 want to thank all of you, including Bobby Rush, for all that
703 you do to continue to keep Chicago and America safe.
704 We are honored to have you here in Chicago and
705 appreciate the time you are spending to understand the
706 devastating toll violence has on the lives of Americans and
707 the steps you and Congress can do to help protect our
708 children, our families, and our country.
709 My name is Selwyn Rogers and I serve as a professor of
710 surgery and chair of trauma and acute care surgery at the
711 University of Chicago of Medicine.
712 In my work, I lead a dedicated staff of specialists who
713 care for people who have been traumatically injured. In my
714 own location in the South Side of Chicago, we sit in the
715 epicenter of much of our city's gun violence.
716 Ms. Eshoo. Dr. Rogers, can you move --
717 Dr. Rogers. Mic closer?
718 Ms. Eshoo. I think for everyone that is going to speak
719 the most effective way is to get this microphone really close
720 to your lips, all right?
721 Dr. Rogers. Will do.
722 Ms. Eshoo. We don't want to miss a word. Thank you. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
723 Dr. Rogers. When we think of gun violence in the United
724 States, we often think of tragic events such as mass
725 shootings in Dayton, Ohio, or El Paso, Texas.
726 However, in Chicago, every day we see smaller examples
727 that are no less devastating. We see a 22-year-old man
728 driving with his girlfriend shot and killed in a carjacking.
729 His crime -- he owned a nice car. His name was Alexis
730 Andrade.
731 We see a 36-year-old mother of three shot and killed in
732 front of her children at a cell phone store. Her name was
733 Candice Dickerson.
734 We see the 11-year-old girl killed by a stray bullet in
735 her living room while she planned her birthday party the next
736 day. Her name was Kentavia Blackful.
737 At our hospital at the University of Chicago Medicine we
738 work to the absolute limits of our abilities every day to
739 save people like these.
740 But far too often the bullets lead to death, despite all
741 of our efforts. When that happens, we have a moment of
742 silence to mourn the loss.
743 However, we know that that moment will soon be pierced
744 by screams of anguish and sometimes anger at a life that has
745 been extinguished way too soon.
746 The loved ones plea to tell us that their daughter,
747 their son, their significant other is not dead. They ask me, This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
748 how could this happen -- why did this happen.
749 I have no answers. But answers are exactly what we
750 need. I am here to testify today that we collectively need
751 to find answers to the intentional gun violence that has
752 killed over 14,000 Americans in 2017 -- the data that is most
753 recently available.
754 In additional, as we also noted, over 23,000 Americans
755 were killed by gun suicides that year. In February of this
756 year, I joined a medical summit of more than 40 professional
757 organizations that agreed upon a united statement on the
758 impact bullets have on the health of people.
759 My colleague, Dr. Ron Stewart, to my left will elaborate
760 on these in his remarks. We must understand this violence is
761 a public health issue and a public health crisis and, as
762 such, we should address it with the same urgency that we do
763 for Ebola or any other disease we know we can treat.
764 Because when we do that, when we look at gun violence as
765 a disease, that means it can be treated and it can be cured.
766 If we make a true meaningful investment in our communities we
767 can address some of the holistic issues that have created
768 this gun violence epidemic.
769 Consider, for example, that the unemployment rate in our
770 South Side coverage area is more than five times the national
771 average or that 43 percent of children of color here live in
772 poverty, more than double the state average, or that South This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
773 Side residents suffer significantly higher rates of chronic
774 health conditions such as asthma and diabetes, breast cancer
775 and HIV.
776 In this unhealthy environment, where day-to-day life is
777 a constant struggle, where homelessness and hopelessness are
778 all too common, is it any wonder that there is such a high
779 rate of gun violence?
780 To address this, we need to develop evidence-based
781 solutions and invest in research to address these root
782 issues. Federal, state, and city dollars need to be
783 dedicated to the study of improved prevention efforts.
784 Beyond that, we have to invest in remedying the social
785 factors such as education disparities and lack of economic
786 opportunities that are often at the root base of gun
787 violence.
788 While these measures will take years to enact and take
789 effect, there are a number of programs that can be invested
790 in now. Violence interruption programs such as Cure Violence
791 or the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago use community
792 outreach workers to help prevent retaliatory violence,
793 hospital-based violence intervention programs such as at the
794 University of Chicago Medicine and other medical centers
795 throughout Chicago have been shown to reduce recidivism.
796 These efforts are all aimed at secondary prevention.
797 But we must also focus on primary prevention initiatives so This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
798 that people are not injured in the first place. I know that
799 gun violence feels like an overwhelming problem. I have seen
800 the pain with my own eyes. I have wiped the blood from my
801 own hands.
802 Yet, I am still hopeful because I know that we take --
803 if we take concrete actions and we do the small things that
804 make big changes we can change the tide of violence that has
805 become way too common and such a devastating problem for so
806 many in our communities and in our nation.
807 Thank you for the opportunity for this testimony.
808 [The prepared statement of Dr. Rogers follows:]
809 This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
810 Ms. Eshoo. Thank you, Dr. Rogers.
811 Now it is a pleasure to recognize Dr. Ronald Stewart for
812 your five minutes of testimony and thank you for being with
813 us and traveling a distance to do so.
814 This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
815 STATEMENT OF RONALD STEWART
816 Dr. Stewart. Thank you, Chairwoman Eshoo, and members
817 of the subcommittee. Thank you for inviting the ACS to
818 participate. It is an honor to follow a hero and colleague
819 of mine, Dr. Selwyn Rogers.
820 I would also like to thank the leadership and staff of
821 Kennedy King College for their terrific hospitality.
822 The ACS is based out of Chicago and we are also very
823 grateful for the invitation. For 96 years, the American
824 College of Surgeons has worked to comprehensively improve the
825 care of injured patients in areas such as EMS, trauma
826 centers, disaster response systems, and this has resulted in
827 dramatic improvements in care and outcomes for our patients.
828 For the past five years, we have focused much of our
829 efforts on implementing a durable public health approach to
830 reduce firearm violence and to increase the resilience of our
831 country and the health of our patients.
832 The ACS represents those who care for the patients who
833 suffer from firearm injuries. The hardest part of my work is
834 trying to explain to the family of a child, a child who is
835 the very embodiment of the future of that family, a child who
836 was completely normal at breakfast, is now dead.
837 For those in this audience who have lost loved ones --
838 Pastor Mitchell, Representative Rush -- I know my pain pales This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
839 in comparison to yours. But I want you to know that we, the
840 American College of Surgeons, are committed to let no one die
841 or suffer in vain.
842 And we know that by working together we can prevent --
843 we can prevent injury and violence and we are driven to make
844 this goal a reality.
845 Over the course of the five years we developed our
846 strategy around three guiding principles.
847 One, address firearm violence as a public health and
848 medical problem, not a political problem. This means
849 focusing our attention on serving humanity and basing our
850 actions on scientific truth as best we can determine it.
851 Two, search for evidence-based violence prevention
852 programs and best practices with the goal of implementing
853 these programs through our network of 554 trauma centers
854 across the U.S.
855 What do we mean by implementing evidence-based violence
856 prevention programs? Is it possible to prevent or cure
857 violence? Well, yes, it is.
858 For those who believe that this is really too difficult
859 a task, to me, it is definitely not more difficult than
860 managing a complex viral epidemic. With the will, it is
861 possible to prevent and cure violence.
862 But to get this right requires the full commitment of
863 all medicine along with partnerships at the local, state, and This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
864 federal levels. The people who are right now here, this
865 community, communities across the United States who are
866 working to make this a goal, to make this goal a reality,
867 need our full support and our full commitment.
868 Three, foster and provide a forum for a collegial civil
869 dialogue centered on reducing unnecessary death and suffering
870 related to firearm injury.
871 In a very interesting way, this principle has led us to
872 realize that achieving the goals of the first two are not as
873 difficult as we initially thought.
874 I told you the hardest thing about my job. I also know
875 your job is difficult. We, the voters, send you conflicting
876 and mixed messages. But I have learned that the message on
877 firearm violence is not as conflicting and mixed as many
878 would guess if we can actually talk about the problem.
879 We have been intentionally inclusive in our discussions.
880 I have probably talked to more people in medicine on both
881 sides of the political firearm debate than anyone. I
882 presented and talked with people from Texas and from
883 California, from Chicago and from Little Rock, Arkansas.
884 We have extensively surveyed ourselves and are surveying
885 medical organizations. We have held town halls. We have put
886 together a working group of surgeons who are also serious
887 firearm owners.
888 This group produced a set of recommendations which they This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
889 call the Chicago Consensus One. These recommendations are
890 included in my written testimony and I ask you to carefully
891 review these recommendations to give you a real feel for what
892 we can do when we work together.
893 In February, as Dr. Rogers noted, we hosted a historic
894 medical summit on firearm injury prevention in Chicago. This
895 summit consisted of the largest medical and public health
896 organizations in the United States, 47 leading medical
897 organizations.
898 The group identified many opportunities to collaborate
899 in the areas of research, education, target injury prevention
900 initiatives. These 47 all support nine consensus-based
901 recommendations published this month in the Journal of
902 American College of Surgeons.
903 Our written testimony includes this entire document,
904 which I ask you to also carefully consider because it
905 provides a comprehensive overview of what we mean by a public
906 health approach.
907 Wrapping up, intentional violence is the most neglected
908 health problem in America and firearm violence is a public
909 health crisis.
910 But I am optimistic. If we commit to addressing
911 intentional violence in the same way we did with motor
912 vehicle-related injury and death five decades ago, we can and
913 we will make dramatic progress. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
914 This means working together to, one, make firearm
915 ownership as safe as reasonably possible for those who own
916 firearms and for those who do not; two, work together to
917 understand and address the root causes of violence.
918 In summary, this is the core of a public health approach
919 to firearm injury prevention. As I said, I am optimistic.
920 While our country currently appears paralyzed by political
921 polarization, we hope that our recent work of building
922 consensus among a range of diverse stakeholders and then
923 moving to action provide a hopeful guide.
924 We do understand there is not simple solution to complex
925 problems. But we also know if we use the power of
926 partnership, innovation, science, these complex problems are
927 completely manageable and, yes, even curable.
928 We are fully committed to working with you. Thank you
929 very much for the opportunity to present today.
930 [The prepared statement of Dr. Stewart follows:]
931 This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
932 Ms. Eshoo. Thank you very much, Dr. Stewart.
933 I think each one of you gives us hope with your
934 testimony.
935 I now have the privilege of recognizing Mr. Kerr, who is
936 here today. We welcome you. He is the director of violence
937 prevention for the city of Chicago.
938 You have five minutes for your testimony, sir, and
939 welcome.
940 This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
941 STATEMENT OF NORMAN KERR
942 Mr. Kerr. Thank you.
943 Good morning, Chairwoman Eshoo and members of the
944 committee. So great to see you. Illinois delegation here
945 this morning and to be at this great campus, Kennedy King
946 College.
947 I would like to thank the committee for holding this
948 important hearing on community responses to gun violence.
949 Let me start by introducing myself.
950 My name is Norman Kerr. I am the new director of
951 violence prevention under Mayor Lightfoot's Office of Public
952 Safety.
953 Since day one, Mayor Lightfoot has been clear that her
954 highest priority and greatest responsibility as mayor is
955 ensuring peace and safety in all of Chicago's neighborhoods.
956 And each and every day since May 20th, the mayor's
957 Office of Public Safety has been building on our
958 comprehensive reduction strategy with the goal of measurably
959 reducing gun violence.
960 Chicago finds itself in a unique period. In 2016, the
961 city suffered a dramatic increase in shootings and homicides
962 more severe than that experienced by any of the other five
963 largest American cities over the past 25 years.
964 The vast majority of these homicides were committed with This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
965 illegal guns. Across Chicago, communities have been
966 devastated by the hundreds of homicides and by the thousands
967 of nonfatal shootings that occur each year.
968 In addition to long-lasting trauma, estimates of the
969 direct and indirect economic costs run to billions of dollars
970 per year.
971 Since 2016, the trends have improved. Shootings and
972 homicides have seen double-digit year over year decreases two
973 years in a row.
974 In fact, over this past summer, we saw an accelerated
975 decrease in violent crimes with June, July, and August seeing
976 the lowest number of shooting victims since 2014.
977 And while many organizations are tackling gun violence
978 independently of city leadership, through various privately-
979 funded frameworks the experience of peer cities shows that
980 violence reduction efforts are far more successful through
981 effective coordination of resources, policy, and management
982 decisions across all stakeholders.
983 Mayor Lightfoot's commitment to promoting safe
984 communities and reducing gun violence is evident in her
985 appointment of Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Susan Lee, who
986 leads the city's first ever Office of Public Safety.
987 As the mayor's point person for all anti-violence
988 efforts, the deputy mayor is responsible for public safety
989 oversight and operations with activities grounded in three This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
990 areas:
991 Leading a comprehensive violence reduction strategy by
992 collaborating with street outreach and other community-based
993 anti-violence organizations while also ensuring coordination
994 with city agencies and the police department;
995 Guiding public safety agency operations including
996 Chicago Police Department, Chicago Fire Department, Office of
997 Emergency Management and Communications, Civilian Office of
998 Police Accountability, and Police Board, managing consent
999 decree reform priorities, leading gun policy strategy and
1000 liaising with state and county governments.
1001 And finally, building on data and research critical to
1002 policy decisions including regular analysis and review of
1003 violence trends as well as evaluation of violence reduction
1004 initiatives.
1005 As core components of its initial efforts, the Mayor's
1006 office has convened biweekly regional coordination meetings
1007 on the West Side and South Sides, facilitated broad yet
1008 targeted collaboration across city agencies through monthly
1009 public safety cabinet meetings, and launched a gun stat
1010 initiative, an unprecedented collaborative effort with the
1011 U.S. Department of Justice, the Cook County State's Attorney
1012 Office, the Office of Cook County Sheriff and other major
1013 partners that is designed to track gun offenders in order to
1014 identify trends and strengths and address any weaknesses This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1015 within the criminal justice system.
1016 We have embarked on a proactive strategy that looks at
1017 gun violence as a public health crisis, which is what it is.
1018 While we continue to seek consistent reductions of violence
1019 crime throughout the city, Mayor Lightfoot will be the first
1020 to say we have much more work to do.
1021 Together, we have to re-stitch our broken safety net.
1022 We have to work on providing wraparound services and job
1023 training in the neighborhoods that have been under siege and
1024 economically distressed for decades.
1025 We recognize the fact that this will not be solved
1026 overnight. By investing in neighborhoods and addressing the
1027 root causes of gun violence we can continue to make
1028 meaningful gains in public safety and communities throughout
1029 the city.
1030 We will continue working with Chicagoans from every
1031 neighborhood and background, from block clubs and faith
1032 groups, to businesses and school communities who have joined
1033 us hand in hand in our multifaceted comprehensive approach to
1034 reducing violence in our city.
1035 Continued improvement for the people of Chicago will
1036 also take cooperation by all levels of government. I look
1037 forward to working with this committee to further policies
1038 and programs that create and maintain safe communities for
1039 our families to thrive. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1040 Thank you, and I look forward to continued work.
1041 [The prepared statement of Mr. Kerr follows:]
1042 This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1043 Ms. Eshoo. Thank you, Mr. Kerr, and please give the
1044 best of all of the committee members to the mayor. Thank you
1045 for being here this morning.
1046 The chair now recognizes Mr. Leak for his five minutes
1047 of testimony. Thank you for being with us.
1048 This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1049 STATEMENT OF SPENCER LEAK, SR.
1050 Mr. Leak. Thank you, Madam Chairman. Would it be out
1051 of order if I give honor to God, my Maker, my Creator, this
1052 morning, as we approach these most important hearings where
1053 --
1054 [Applause.]
1055 Ms. Eshoo. Amen.
1056 Mr. Leak. -- our congressmen, who represent us well who
1057 are here today, Congressman Garcia, Congressman Schakowsky,
1058 and Cook and Davis and my brother, Congressman Bobby Rush,
1059 who gave us the invitation to come here.
1060 I thank -- I thank you for this privilege and I want to
1061 say to you that I am the CEO of an 85-year-old funeral
1062 service organization that no week goes by, members of
1063 Congress, that I don't service the families of at least two
1064 gun violence victims.
1065 I have to service them and then try to counsel them and
1066 try to answer the question that is invariably asked by the
1067 mothers and fathers of the children that I service is, and
1068 that question is one word: Why, Mr. Leak? Why?
1069 Of all of the families that I have serviced, one comes
1070 to mind this morning. Let me share with you. It is on March
1071 12th, 2013. The mother and father of six-month-old Jonylah
1072 Watkins came to our funeral home seeking our service. The This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1073 city of Chicago had to lay this precious child to rest and
1074 her death touched my heart even though I am a professional
1075 funeral director.
1076 When I think about her short lifespan, a verse of
1077 scripture found in the Book of Revelations, the sixth chapter
1078 and the thirteenth verse seems to define her in a profound
1079 manner.
1080 "And the stars of heaven fell onto the Earth even as a
1081 fig tree casts her untimely figs when she is shaken by a
1082 mighty wind." Truly, this little baby girl was an untimely
1083 fig who was not allowed to reach her potential. Her life was
1084 cut off by the might winds of guns and drugs causing so much
1085 death and destruction to the hearts of the future of our
1086 children -- death and destruction caused by black on black
1087 gun violence. So much evil is manifested in its wake.
1088 The challenge to all of us who live in this city as well
1089 as this nation is to engage those mighty winds of adversity.
1090 We must reverse the tide that has seen too many figs cast
1091 out, untimely figs here in Chicago and across our nation.
1092 Thirty years ago, Madam Chairman, I had the honor to be
1093 the director of the Cook County Department of Corrections.
1094 Inmates coming into the jail accused of homicides were
1095 predominantly black, their perpetrators were predominantly
1096 black as well as the victims. They were abusing alcohol and
1097 drugs during the commission of the crime. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1098 And finally, the perpetrators and the victims were known
1099 to one another. There was a relationship, and because of
1100 that relationship the police were able to arrest the
1101 perpetrator in the majority of the instances.
1102 Today, Madam Chairman, those circumstances are reversed.
1103 In the majority of homicides, the perpetrator has no
1104 relationship to the victim. These homicides are mostly
1105 random violence and so often renders the police and the
1106 courts a challenge in seeking an arrest.
1107 The role, I believe, of Congress must be one that
1108 recognizes that unless in an earlier period of the life of
1109 the would-be perpetrator they must receive some type of
1110 special crime prevention.
1111 It is not found as it could be in the home, in the
1112 church, but it is found, in my examination, in the schools.
1113 The perpetrator and the future victims were students at one
1114 time in the Chicago public schools.
1115 If we can create an environment that in those particular
1116 schools that teaches morals, character, good citizenship
1117 during their formative years, we will be able to save
1118 hundreds, even thousands of lives.
1119 My brothers and sisters, you, who are Congressmen, we
1120 are depending on you to today to leave Chicago knowing that
1121 you are going to do something about what plagues us as a
1122 city. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1123 God bless you.
1124 [Applause.]
1125 [The prepared statement of Mr. Leak follows:]
1126 This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1127 Ms. Eshoo. Thank you, Mr. Leak. You have summoned us
1128 to a higher place for sure.
1129 I now would like to recognize last but not least Dr.
1130 Niva Lubin-Johnson, the immediate past president of the
1131 National Medical Association, and welcome to you and thank
1132 you for being here.
1133 You have five minutes for your testimony.
1134 This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1135 STATEMENT OF NIVA LUBIN-JOHNSON
1136 Dr. Lubin-Johnson. Thank you, and thank you,
1137 Congressman Eshoo, for the invitation this morning, to all of
1138 the Health Subcommittee members for holding this hearing
1139 today here in my hometown of Chicago.
1140 I would especially like to thank Subcommittee Member
1141 Congressman Bobby Rush, who is my Congressman, as well as
1142 Congresswoman Robin Kelly, who I have had the pleasure with
1143 -- working with quite frequently on a myriad of health issues
1144 dating back to when she was a state representative, and the
1145 other Chicago Congressman here today, my colleague in health
1146 care, the Honorable Danny K. Davis, and to Jesus Garcia and
1147 Jan Schakowsky, also fellow natives of Chicago.
1148 I am here today to talk about policies and solutions to
1149 the public health threat posed by gun violence, not only as a
1150 physician who has practiced internal medicine for over 30
1151 years here in Chicago but also as the immediate past
1152 president of the National Medical Association.
1153 NMA is the largest and oldest national organization
1154 representing African-American professionals, doing so for
1155 over 50,000 African-American physicians and our patients in
1156 the United States and its territories.
1157 We are the collected voice of African-American
1158 physicians and the collective voice and the leading voice for This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1159 parity and justice in medicine. Gun violence has been a key
1160 issue for NMA and continues to be on the forefront this year
1161 as it was throughout my presidency.
1162 As you know, it is one of the leading causes of death in
1163 America, where more than 39,000 people die by guns every year
1164 and 85,000 more suffer nonfatal injuries.
1165 It cost our economy $229 billion annually and the cost
1166 of firearm assault injury include work loss, medical and
1167 mental health care, emergency transportation, police criminal
1168 justice activities, insurance claims processing, employer
1169 cost and decreased quality of life.
1170 We know the statistics about what has gone on here in
1171 Chicago. Fortunately, those numbers are decreasing. But
1172 also I want to make note that Chicago per capita is not the
1173 highest city of gun violence. I believe we rank about number
1174 15 in the country, definitely not in the top 10.
1175 So what do we do about it? One, as mentioned before, we
1176 have got to look at where the guns come from. Sixty percent
1177 come from outside of Chicago, and we have to deal with how
1178 they get into the city.
1179 In November of last year, the National Rifle Association
1180 had the audacity to tweet, "Someone should tell self-
1181 important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane" after the
1182 American College of Physicians released a report calling this
1183 a public health crisis. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1184 Physicians, including NMA, countered, "This is our
1185 lane," and, as you heard, more than 40 medical organizations
1186 including NMA joined forces as a coalition to raise money to
1187 confront this related death and injury epidemic as a public
1188 health initiative.
1189 It hit close to home here in Chicago after the tragic
1190 shooting of award-winning NMA member, Dr. Tamara O'Neal
1191 outside of Mercy Hospital.
1192 I, too, am on staff at Mercy Hospital and have been so
1193 for over 30 years. I didn't know Dr. O'Neal but I wish I
1194 had.
1195 As you know, she was a graduate of University of
1196 Illinois and worked at Mercy Hospital. Two physicians I know
1197 closely were involved that day.
1198 One is a urologist who saved my husband's life -- he is
1199 a prostate cancer survivor who actually was going across the
1200 hall when he heard the shots -- and another who -- I will
1201 tell a little bit of my age.
1202 I am over 50, yes, and I need a colonoscopy. The first
1203 man to do that was in a room getting ready to do a procedure
1204 on a patient, had to lock himself in the room when that
1205 perpetrator knocked on the door where he was.
1206 NMA has long been an advocate of stemming gun violence
1207 in our communities and the country at large. We are in full
1208 agreement with the American College of Physicians that gun This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1209 violence and violence prevention is a public health crisis
1210 and we believe it demands a multifaceted approach because, as
1211 we all know, as the late Carl Bell said, this is a multi-
1212 faceted problem. There are different types of violence.
1213 In 2017, we published a position paper on gun violence.
1214 In 2018, we developed a fact sheet on gun violence and
1215 advocated for it while on our Capitol Hill day during March
1216 of this year.
1217 In July, with 10 other African-American professional
1218 organizations, we crafted a letter to all of the presidential
1219 candidates outlining gun violence as one of our top issues of
1220 concern.
1221 On August 4th of this year, myself, along with Dr.
1222 Stewart and Dr. Roger Mitchell, who is the chair of our task
1223 force, appeared on CBS Sunday morning on a story about gun
1224 violence and the public health coalition that has formed as a
1225 result of that NRA tweet.
1226 We have endorsed the House-passed H.R. 8 and we have
1227 also advocated for other pieces of legislation that have been
1228 crafted by the House of Representatives.
1229 We call on the federal government to immediately convene
1230 a bipartisan commission to evaluate steps to reduce and
1231 eventually eliminate gun violence utilizing a public health
1232 approach.
1233 Especially I would like to include in this research the This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1234 fact that NMA is now surveying our four historically black
1235 medical schools to see where they can come and help in this
1236 space, but also to study the effects of lead in terms of
1237 violence and aggressiveness but also to continue the work of
1238 Dr. Carl Bell in terms of fetal alcohol syndrome. It is
1239 decrease of choline levels and that leading to increase of
1240 violence.
1241 I want to thank you all for the opportunity to be here
1242 this morning on behalf of NMA and our president, Oliver
1243 Brooks, and I look forward to your questions.
1244 Thank you.
1245 [The prepared statement of Dr. Lubin-Johnson follows:]
1246 This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1247 Ms. Eshoo. Thank you very much, Dr. Lubin-Johnson, and
1248 thank you for the support that you just expressed for H.R. 8,
1249 the comprehensive background check legislation that is now at
1250 the doorstep of the United States Senate and we pray that
1251 that will be taken up because we know the good that can come
1252 from that.
1253 Now, all of our witnesses have testified. I am going to
1254 call on Congresswoman Robin Kelly. I won't start with the
1255 questioning.
1256 I want to make sure that both Congresswoman Kelly and
1257 Congressman Kinzinger get to ask their questions. They both
1258 have time limitations today.
1259 So I will set my questions aside for now. Recognize the
1260 gentlewoman for her five minutes of questioning.
1261 Ms. Kelly. Thank you, Chairwoman Eshoo, and thank all
1262 of you for your testimony. It is very much appreciated and
1263 we are listening, believe me.
1264 I am not -- you know, I am not going to call you Pastor
1265 Mitchell. I am going to call you Brenda because you call me
1266 Robin.
1267 [Laughter.]
1268 Ms. Kelly. Thank you so much for testifying today and,
1269 as you have heard me say before, thank you for being so
1270 selfless, because you could go in your home and close your
1271 door and not be bothered. But as you chose to be an advocate This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1272 you chose to turn your pain into passion. So thank you so
1273 much.
1274 I am just going to cut right to the chase. What do you
1275 want Congress to do? What do you feel like we can do to be
1276 helpful, to help families and communities?
1277 Pastor Mitchell. I think that what we need to do is to,
1278 number one, pass H.R. 8, which I did -- I am speaking for the
1279 Senate to take seriously what is happening in our communities
1280 and the blood that is left on the ground in our communities,
1281 to understand that that becomes holy ground for us.
1282 It is sacred. And even with the lack of resources
1283 around trauma-informed care, it took me to almost have to
1284 lose my life three times to realize what I was going through.
1285 And in addition to that, to be vulnerable enough to
1286 remove the stigma of accepting therapy and counseling to move
1287 through all the emotions that I was experiencing that were
1288 attacking my internal organs and to be able to understand
1289 what it is to try to come back to yourself, because that is
1290 life changing.
1291 I became somebody that even I didn't recognize or know
1292 anymore and I had to find myself -- my way back to myself.
1293 And so I asked Congress to put forth more research into
1294 trauma, and when we talk about trauma to move it from being a
1295 mental health issue, because I don't identify with mental
1296 health, but I do identify with being traumatized and having This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1297 my heart ripped out of my chest and a sore that I know would
1298 never be healed.
1299 Ms. Kelly. Thank you. And also, I don't know if anyone
1300 in the audience was there but I just want to publicly thank
1301 all the people that got on the bus to come to Washington,
1302 D.C. I think that was so very important.
1303 And I don't know if everyone knows but after the rally
1304 was over we took families from Kentucky into Senator
1305 McConnell's office to talk to them about please passing both
1306 bills that we sent over in February.
1307 Dr. Stewart, I wanted to ask you -- you stated in your
1308 testimony that there is a work group to address the social
1309 determinants of health and its impact on violence in
1310 vulnerable communities.
1311 Can you explain the intersectionality of structural
1312 violence and social determinants of health, especially as it
1313 relates to gun violence in underserved communities?
1314 Dr. Stewart. Yes, ma'am. The --
1315 [Disturbance in hearing room.]
1316 Ms. Kelly. We talked -- we talked about that.
1317 Ms. Eshoo. If the chair can just --
1318 Ms. Kelly. I talked about that in my statement.
1319 Ms. Eshoo. If the chair can just intervene here. We
1320 have --
1321 [Disturbance in hearing room.] This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1322 Ms. Eshoo. Well, we need to go on. We need to go on
1323 with our hearing. Congresswoman Kelly, you have the floor
1324 and keep your -- please, sir, we are trying to have a hearing
1325 here. All right.
1326 [Disturbance in hearing room.]
1327 Dr. Stewart. Yes, ma'am. You want me to just answer?
1328 So if you look at our -- if you look at the strategy -- if
1329 you look at the strategy for the American College of
1330 Surgeons, I was clear with respect to that. Make firearm
1331 ownership as safe as reasonably --
1332 [Disturbance in hearing room.]
1333 Ms. Eshoo. Why don't we -- why don't we just pause for
1334 a few moments?
1335 [Disturbance in hearing room.]
1336 Ms. Eshoo. I think if we can ask -- I think if we can
1337 ask the gentleman to move with the others out of the room so
1338 that we can continue with the hearing, please.
1339 I think that it is very important to understand that
1340 this is not a town hall meeting. This is a congressional
1341 committee having an official congressional hearing to listen
1342 to witnesses that will instruct us in order to address the
1343 epidemic of gun violence.
1344 Each one of us does town hall meetings in our
1345 congressional districts. We are thoroughly accustomed to
1346 people shouting out at us and being unrestrained and hearing This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1347 from them.
1348 But that is not what today is. Today is the hearing
1349 with the witnesses, professionals all, being instructive to
1350 the Congress on how we can shape tangible legislation that is
1351 going to have an effect on addressing this epidemic in our
1352 country.
1353 So I think it is important to delineate the difference
1354 between the town hall meeting and a congressional hearing.
1355 So now I would ask my colleague, Congresswoman Kelly, to
1356 resume her questioning. And I thank you, everyone, for your
1357 patience.
1358 Ms. Kelly. I just wanted to add to that. We did have
1359 members of Congress come to Illinois and we did meet with a
1360 group of -- of course, we can't meet with everybody but we
1361 specifically met with young folks under 25. Most of them
1362 were under 20. So we have done things like that also.
1363 But, Dr. Stewart, do you remember the question?
1364 Dr. Stewart. I do.
1365 Ms. Kelly. Okay.
1366 Dr. Stewart. And so working to understand address the
1367 root cause of violence is one of our two-prong strategies and
1368 that means we have to get to what many people have testified
1369 and what many of you commented on, addressing social
1370 determinants of health and structural violence.
1371 What do we mean -- what does Dr. Rogers mean by This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1372 structural violence? It is the ways we put individuals in
1373 our communities in harm's way and there are things it is not
1374 easy to see.
1375 As a fish -- we have a colleague, Wayne Meredith, who
1376 would say a fish can't see water. And so it may not be
1377 obvious to us but there are structural issues that lead to
1378 increased violence and increased rates of death.
1379 And so we have put together a work group, which is a
1380 national work group of experts in addressing social
1381 determinants of health and structural violence.
1382 We call that the I Save Work Group. We view that as
1383 complementary to our firearm strategy team work group --
1384 making firearm ownership as safe as reasonably possible while
1385 trying to work to understand and address the root causes of
1386 violence.
1387 And violence, too, I will just say -- feel free to
1388 interrupt me -- but I would say that it is a bigger problem
1389 than what we realize because it is true that there is a 100
1390 to 109, 100 to 110 people who die every day from firearm
1391 violence.
1392 There is actually 182 who die every day from intentional
1393 violence from all mechanisms. So working to understand and
1394 address the root causes of violence is critical, and that is
1395 just the death.
1396 That is just the deaths. It does not take into account This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1397 the magnitude of the health burden which is tremendous, and
1398 an investment by Congress in this, I believe, is critically
1399 needed and I think it will return benefits far beyond that
1400 investment.
1401 Ms. Kelly. Thank you, Dr. Stewart.
1402 And finally, I would like to submit for the record my
1403 Kelly Report on gun violence in America, which includes
1404 common sense policy recommendations to reduce the gun
1405 violence epidemic.
1406 Ms. Eshoo. So ordered.
1407 [The information follows:]
1408 This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1409 Ms. Kelly. I yield back.
1410 Ms. Eshoo. The gentlewoman yields back.
1411 And now I would like to call on Congressman Adam
1412 Kinzinger for his five minutes of questioning, and thank him
1413 again for being here and making our hearing, very
1414 importantly, a bipartisan one.
1415 Mr. Kinzinger. Well, thank you, Madam Chair. And
1416 again, thank you for yielding the time. I appreciate it, and
1417 to all my colleagues and Robin, thank you for your good
1418 questions, too.
1419 But especially to the witnesses. Thank you for being
1420 here. Your stories were both emotional and also informing.
1421 So thank you for that.
1422 Pastor Mitchell, I don't know what to say except my
1423 deepest condolences and I appreciate you sharing your story
1424 because I think it is important for all of us to see how it
1425 affects family, how family can do their best to overcome, and
1426 it brings a human element that sometimes when we talked about
1427 statistics, which, you know, we have to talk about statistics
1428 but sometimes that gets missing, and I appreciate you doing
1429 the very difficult thing, but bringing a human face to that.
1430 And so my deepest condolences and to you.
1431 Mr. Leak, I just want to say to you -- I don't have any
1432 questions but I wanted to make a point, which is thank you
1433 for your testimony as well. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1434 You know, evil is a very real thing, and we don't talk a
1435 lot about it.
1436 But for whatever reason, there is a generation of young
1437 people, and I think it transcends race and it transcends
1438 income and boundary lines, that are listening to the whispers
1439 in their ear and doing really terrible things at very young
1440 ages.
1441 And I attribute that partially to evil, mental health,
1442 and I appreciate you bringing that up.
1443 But to the questions, Dr. Rogers, you mentioned in your
1444 testimony that the University of Chicago has developed a
1445 program that employs people with similar life experiences who
1446 help connect trauma patients and families to wraparound
1447 services, which include vocational training, mental health
1448 counseling, and other social services.
1449 Can you elaborate further on how this kind of hospital-
1450 based intervention and outreach to high-risk individuals
1451 presents a unique teachable moments, basically improves
1452 outcomes and prevents future violent injuries?
1453 Dr. Rogers. There is a network of hospital-based policy
1454 and prevention programs across the country. Approximately 30
1455 hospitals have invested in these programs, and they basically
1456 take people who have been injured by violent injuries, be it
1457 gun violence, stabbings, or assault, and use that moment to
1458 intervene in their lives. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1459 Basically, think of violence as a chronic disease
1460 instead of an acute event. And in the context of that,
1461 people often come in with preexisting social issues that they
1462 need, educational disparities, economic opportunities they
1463 have not taken advantage of, and being able to invest in
1464 people through these hospital-based intervention programs
1465 have found significant effects in decreasing recidivism rates
1466 of recurrent injury or retaliatory violence.
1467 The other aspect is preventing people from injuring
1468 someone else. There is a common saying that hurt people hurt
1469 people, and when you think about the opportunity that
1470 hospitals, health systems, may have to intervene in people's
1471 lives who have been hurt to prevent retaliatory violence, it
1472 is a very important possible intervention.
1473 Mr. Kinzinger. And I want to add to that. So a lot of
1474 people don't know this about me but my father was a director
1475 of an organization that helped the homeless, and one of the
1476 things that they really took as a way to do that is to
1477 understand that homelessness was not just the fact that you
1478 don't have a shelter over your head at night.
1479 There was a lot of other things that lead to that and
1480 how do you wrap that around.
1481 And I think the same thing comes -- when it comes to
1482 violence. Somebody comes into a hospital with a gunshot
1483 wound, obviously, your priority is to heal that person and This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1484 ensure they continue to live.
1485 But if they are just pushed out the door or they are not
1486 given any other opportunity, you will likely see that person
1487 back in the same position. So it is how do we interdict
1488 that, and I appreciate you bringing that up.
1489 Dr. Stewart, you were the lead author of a study
1490 published which you discussed that identifies some common
1491 ground solutions to reduce violent harm.
1492 Number five in the consensus statement raises the
1493 importance of engaging both firearm owners and populations at
1494 risk. Can you elaborate further on the need to engage the
1495 community of firearm owners and why, as part of that
1496 solution?
1497 Dr. Stewart. I can, and I do think it is a critical --
1498 it is a critical piece of the public health approach, which
1499 is to engage people who are at risk and a part of a
1500 knowledgeable stakeholder group.
1501 I will just give an example. If we were going to do a
1502 bicycle safety initiative in a neighborhood we would come
1503 with data. We would come with expertise. We would do -- we
1504 would have all that.
1505 But one of the things that we would do right away is we
1506 would engage with the bicycle riders. We would engage with
1507 them for their expertise, for their knowledge, and for their
1508 buy-in, and we have done that in the past and we know that we This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1509 learn from bicycle safety initiatives.
1510 We learn that bicycle helmets were not cool. They are
1511 not thermally cool and they weren't culturally cool, and so
1512 we made bicycle helmets thermally cooler and culturally
1513 cooler, and you see people wearing bicycle helmets.
1514 Mr. Kinzinger. Yeah, that has always been a surprise to
1515 me. I was raised in the generation where you never wore
1516 bicycle helmets.
1517 But I will tell you, we have got a lot of questions.
1518 Thank you all for being here.
1519 My time is up and, Madam Chair, I yield back.
1520 Ms. Eshoo. The gentleman yields back, and I know both
1521 of the members that just questioned have other commitments
1522 and need to leave the committee, the witnesses, and everyone
1523 that is here today. Thanks, both of you, both for your
1524 leadership and your ongoing work and your attendance today.
1525 And you may have noticed that we were leaning over and
1526 kind of whispering to each other. It is part of our team
1527 building because you are giving us ideas. So travel safely.
1528 Make your meetings and thank you for being here today.
1529 I want -- let us applaud them. Let us applaud them.
1530 [Applause.]
1531 Ms. Eshoo. All right. The chair now recognizes herself
1532 for five minutes to ask questions. Is there anyone on the
1533 panel that does not agree that this -- that gun violence is This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1534 an epidemic and that we work through the public health lens
1535 to address it? Is there agreement across the panel on that?
1536 I think I heard all of you. Yes, I see everyone
1537 nodding. Because that is what this hearing is addressing
1538 itself to.
1539 In the work of the Congress, if you were to advise us on
1540 shaping legislation what would the top three or top five
1541 initiatives be that you would recommend to us?
1542 I think at the top of the list is is that we need to,
1543 first, secure the kind of data that can be shared when there
1544 is an epidemic.
1545 Certainly, the CDC and the NIH develop the information
1546 so we can work off of facts. It is very important,
1547 especially in the scientific community, that we have facts.
1548 And we have already -- as I said in my opening statement,
1549 Congress has appropriated $50 million.
1550 If you divide that by 50 states it is not a lot of
1551 money. But it is a start and we should -- we have to start
1552 somewhere and we can -- we can build on that.
1553 But aside from that, what would you recommend to us that
1554 we take back to D.C. with us and build into legislation to
1555 address this epidemic in the public health lane?
1556 Whomever would like to go first. Mr. Kerr?
1557 Mr. Kerr. Sure, I will go first.
1558 So with an epidemic you have to go to the population This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1559 that is most infected and in this case you have to go to the
1560 population that is violent, and there is no way around it.
1561 You have to develop that relationship with them and change
1562 their trajectory.
1563 So if you are going to vaccinate them, if you will, and
1564 provide opportunities and guidance and support so that
1565 vaccination will take and they will be on different
1566 trajectory.
1567 Now, I am not opposed to prevention programs. I think
1568 it is all -- it all has to be in concert. It is not a
1569 competition between intervention and prevention. But we have
1570 to look at where the data says.
1571 Okay. This is the group that is most violent and if we
1572 don't develop a relationship with them that change is going
1573 to be minimal.
1574 So this is something that we have to invest in. Just
1575 even this thought is that this population is not a throwaway
1576 population, that they can change and we have seen this.
1577 We have worked with individuals who have been on a
1578 certain path and the intervention is with them and then they
1579 change what they are doing.
1580 Now they are actually working for the program and
1581 helping others to make that change as well. But it has to be
1582 something that is really thought out and also we have to look
1583 at their ecosystems. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1584 So it is not just working with that individual. What
1585 does their home life look like? What does the people who are
1586 in their network -- social networks, family networks -- look
1587 like? What are they going through, because they impact that
1588 individual.
1589 Ms. Eshoo. Thank you. The doctors, I think, want to
1590 lean in on this.
1591 Dr. Rogers. I will lean in and add what Mr. Kerr said.
1592 There has to be a lot of investment to reverse the chronic
1593 disinvestment in communities, especially communities of color
1594 that have been disproportionately affected by violence.
1595 Way too often, violence can be intergenerational. I
1596 meet with families every day who say that not just their
1597 cousin, not just their father, not just their brother has
1598 been impacted by gun violence, but multiple people in their
1599 families over generations have been impacted.
1600 And without really thinking about what the psychological
1601 emotional toll that that takes upon families and how that
1602 leads to secondary trauma in people, we will not be able to
1603 make a lasting impact.
1604 And in many ways because this is so longstanding we are
1605 going to have to make a very deep concentrated effort to make
1606 an impact and I think, if I could make any recommendation to
1607 Congress, it is not going to be a simple Band-Aid solution.
1608 Ms. Eshoo. No, we know that. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1609 Dr. Rogers. This is going to take years of commitment
1610 over time to reverse what has been present for decades.
1611 Ms. Eshoo. Well, in listening to Pastor Mitchell talk
1612 about all that she went through physically and the depression
1613 that surrounded her and deepened her grief even more that we
1614 do a lot through the Department of Defense relative -- and
1615 the Veterans Administration relative to PTSD.
1616 It seems to me that you are a witness and someone that
1617 has experienced that and I think this -- it needs to be a
1618 part of what we do.
1619 Did you want to add to that?
1620 Pastor Mitchell. Yes. I think -- I was on a town hall
1621 with Senator Chris Murphy and Congresswoman Lucy McBath and
1622 the question was asked, what was the one thing that we are
1623 not speaking about or addressing in terms of the gun violence
1624 initiatives, and the laws -- we know how important that is
1625 and though they have not made it to the Senate floor for
1626 reality to be our experience, we realized that there is
1627 devastation in our communities and those things have not been
1628 addressed.
1629 And as Dr. Rogers has stated, it is not anything that
1630 has happened overnight. But I believe that with the research
1631 that has to happen in our community, there also has to be
1632 dollars that deal with the socioeconomic issues in the
1633 communities as well as the devastation and to have more This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1634 resources out there.
1635 I had the luxury of having insurance. I had the luxury
1636 of being able to talk through my issues. Everybody doesn't
1637 have that luxury and, unfortunately, it is not even available
1638 in most cases because we are not even creating the narrative
1639 around trauma and trauma-informed care until most recently.
1640 But there still needs to be more work and support driven
1641 in those avenues.
1642 Ms. Eshoo. Thank you very much.
1643 My time has expired. I now would like to recognize the
1644 gentleman, and a gentleman he is, Mr. Butterfield from North
1645 Carolina.
1646 Mr. Butterfield. North Carolina. Thank you so much,
1647 Madam Chair.
1648 Let me just begin by reiterating what Chairwoman Eshoo
1649 said a few minutes ago. This is not a town hall meeting.
1650 All of us have our own individual town hall meetings from
1651 time to time.
1652 This is a congressional hearing. Why do I make this
1653 point? I make the point to say that this is not a political
1654 exercise that we are conducting today. This is serious
1655 business.
1656 The Congress of the United States spends billions of
1657 dollars every year in nondefense discretionary spending, and
1658 if we are to invest in this issue and invest in methods of This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1659 gun prevention and the other issues that we care about,
1660 including education, we have got to build a congressional
1661 record and that is what this is all about today.
1662 We are building a congressional record. We will take
1663 this information and a verbatim copy of what is being said
1664 here today is being placed in a congressional record.
1665 We will take this information back to our committee.
1666 Our committee will then have further hearings. We will
1667 markup legislation, and at some point it will be presented to
1668 the entire House of Representatives for a vote.
1669 And so I just wanted to go on record making that known,
1670 for those who may not fully understand the scope of what we
1671 are doing today.
1672 The statistics show, Madam Chair, that 39,000 firearm-
1673 related fatalities occurred in 2017 -- 39,000. Eighty-three
1674 children injured or killed by guns each day. Inaction is not
1675 an option.
1676 Even more disturbing is the way in which we fail to
1677 treat this as a public health issue. We have not invested
1678 federal dollars in public health research to better
1679 understand how to prevent firearm-related injuries and death.
1680 We have invested in criminal justice initiatives but we
1681 have not invested significantly in public health research.
1682 We were able, a few weeks ago, to approve appropriations
1683 in legislation in the House to provide $50 million to support This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1684 this research and that is just the beginning.
1685 So let me ask our witnesses -- and thank you to all six
1686 of the witnesses but let me ask our medical experts, if I
1687 can.
1688 Can you share how you think this investment could help
1689 us better understand and address this crisis and the impacts
1690 it has on your patients and your friends?
1691 Let us start with Dr. Rogers.
1692 Dr. Rogers. Every day I am struck by the fact that gun
1693 violence has devastating effects not just on those who are
1694 killed but those who are left behind, and I think those
1695 people who are left behind we often don't provide much in the
1696 way of any services.
1697 And echoing your comments, Mr. Butterfield, we have to
1698 invest in research to better understand what works and what
1699 doesn't work. Even for our returning veterans, post-
1700 traumatic stress disorders are a very difficult problem to
1701 fix.
1702 And as Ms. Mitchell noted -- Pastor Mitchell noted, it
1703 has long-ranging effects for decades after the traumatic
1704 event and we have to find ways and approaches to address this
1705 in a more lasting way.
1706 Only through research can we do that. We have found
1707 incredible ways of addressing the AIDS epidemic, for example.
1708 So AIDS is now a chronic illness -- that people can live for This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1709 decades with HIV.
1710 We have to find ways of intervening in people's lives to
1711 prevent violence and find solutions to problems that the
1712 greater society are often ignored.
1713 And I think if that -- if that focus can happen through
1714 this congressional hearing that may be an important start.
1715 Mr. Butterfield. Thank you.
1716 In the last minute that I have remaining, Dr. Stewart
1717 and then Dr. Lubin-Johnson, please.
1718 Dr. Stewart. I would say the impact on our patients
1719 would be that they would be -- if we invest in these things
1720 we have talked about they would be healthier. They would be
1721 more resilient. They would be stronger and they would be
1722 more free.
1723 And it is critical that we make this investment and we
1724 do it across the entire spectrum of violence.
1725 Mr. Butterfield. Thank you.
1726 Dr. Lubin-Johnson?
1727 Dr. Lubin-Johnson. Yes. Yes, and thank you for that
1728 question, Congressman Butterfield.
1729 I believe, you know, the investment is important for our
1730 patients, our communities, especially their families who are
1731 remaining, whether they have been -- their loved ones have
1732 been injured or killed.
1733 I took care of two patients that come to note. One, her This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1734 daughter was killed going to the grocery store and left a
1735 five-year-old son behind, who she cared for during the week,
1736 and the father -- they had a great relationship. He took
1737 care of the child during the weekends.
1738 She ended up obtaining care through her job through
1739 employee assistance programs, but I think other programs need
1740 to be available to those who are left behind after these
1741 tragedies.
1742 But also we need programs to help those who remain in
1743 the families because we know part of structural violence is
1744 also there are some elements of structural racism and we have
1745 to do something and level the playing field in terms of the
1746 economics, the education, and the health care that these
1747 victims and their families have to receive and go through
1748 also.
1749 Thank you.
1750 Mr. Butterfield. Thank you. My time has expired.
1751 Thank you for your response.
1752 I yield back.
1753 Ms. Eshoo. The gentleman yields back.
1754 It is a pleasure to recognize Mr. Rush, whose district
1755 we are in today, for his five minutes of testimony -- I mean,
1756 of questioning.
1757 Mr. Rush. Thank you, Madam Chair.
1758 Madam Chair, I certainly want to associate my remarks This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1759 with my friend, Mr. Butterfield.
1760 I want to just reiterate the fact that this is not a
1761 town hall hearing where we are going to have a lot of rah-rah
1762 and a lot of -- the applause meter is going to go up. It
1763 wasn't intended for that purpose.
1764 This is a sober and somber gathering of witnesses and
1765 members of Congress so that we can do the work that we were
1766 elected to do and that is to try to use -- provide federal
1767 resources to solve the problems that we are discussing today
1768 and that is the epidemic of gun violence and eliminate or
1769 ameliorate the tragedies and suffering and the pain of
1770 families and communities and nations that are affected by
1771 this senseless and ceaseless epidemic of gun violence.
1772 And with that, I want to ask my friend, Mr. Leak, who I
1773 have known for many years and he has funeralized so many
1774 families including my family.
1775 Mr. Leak, has there been a significant and striking
1776 demographic change that you recognize among funeralizing
1777 families during this particular era of epidemic gun violence?
1778 Do you see a significant change in the demographics of your
1779 -- of your -- of gun violence victims that you have to
1780 funeralize twice a week?
1781 Mr. Leak. What I have seen, Congressman Rush --
1782 Mr. Rush. Use the mic, please.
1783 Mr. Leak. What I have seen, Congressman Rush, is that This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1784 the perpetrator and the victim, as I have said, were African
1785 American and what I have seen is that there was -- there is
1786 not today the relationship between perpetrator and victim
1787 that resulted in a successful arrest and adjudication of the
1788 particular perpetrator.
1789 And the reason that we are not seeing that as we did 30,
1790 40 years ago, the fact that there is no relationship between
1791 the perpetrator and the victim.
1792 Random violence is what we are seeing now, violence as
1793 we talked about -- this six-month-old baby. That baby was
1794 not targeted. It was just random violence that plagues us.
1795 And I would say there is only one solution to that and I --
1796 Mr. Rush. Mr. Leak, let me -- let me just get to the
1797 heart of this. You know, I remember in Chicago locally in
1798 the late '70s there was a young man on the near North Side by
1799 the name of Dantrell Davis and he was shot down on the
1800 grounds in Cabrini-Green.
1801 I think he might have been on his way to school that
1802 morning, and he was shot down. And since that time, there
1803 have been more and more younger people who are killed, and
1804 when Dantrell Davis was killed there was a general alarm
1805 because he was a young man, nine years old, who was murdered.
1806 But now the incidences of young people being killed has
1807 increased and I am saying do you agree that unlike our -–
1808 when we were becoming adults most funerals were for older This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1809 family members who had died mostly of natural causes.
1810 But today, is it the same today or is it -- has there
1811 been a subtle and significant switch that most funerals now
1812 are not folks who die of natural causes but young people who
1813 die of gun violence or some other type of violent behavior?
1814 Do you see that?
1815 Mr. Leak. Yes, I do see that.
1816 Congressman, I should not have to be servicing a family
1817 of a six-month-old girl. I should be servicing families
1818 where the deceased person is my age. I should not be
1819 servicing families who have lost their loved ones through
1820 homicide, suicide, drug overdoses.
1821 I am seeing more of that now than I had in the past and
1822 I just say to you I must reiterate and I ask that the
1823 Congress -- you have an effect upon the schools of our city.
1824 Federal dollars come from Washington to our city, and
1825 all due respect to my friend who represents the mayor, I am
1826 saying to you that take back to Washington this story.
1827 Two young kids were acting up. They were sent to the
1828 principal's office. The principal asked them to come in one
1829 by one. The first one came in. The principal asked him, he
1830 says, Johnny, where is God in your life? And go ask Jimmy to
1831 come in here.
1832 Johnny went out to Jimmy and he said, Jimmy, we are in
1833 big trouble. God is missing and the principal thinks we have This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1834 something to do with it.
1835 God is missing from our schools and we have a lot to do
1836 with it, and I am asking you when you go back to Washington,
1837 D.C., send some money here and most of all put God back into
1838 our schools.
1839 Mr. Rush. Thank you.
1840 Dr. Rogers, I want to ask you, you made a statement in
1841 your -- you made a declaration in your statement. I want to
1842 quote you: "This violence is a public health issue as a
1843 disease and it means it can be treated and it can be cured."
1844 Can you expound upon treatment and the cure for it?
1845 What can we do as members of Congress to provide federal
1846 resources, more dollars, to cure this epidemic?
1847 Dr. Rogers. I will start by saying there is so much
1848 about gun violence that we don't understand. We have made
1849 tremendous progress on the ability to do surgical procedures
1850 and medical interventions to fix physical parts of human
1851 beings -- broken bones or put back together damaged organs.
1852 But we haven't really done much to figure out how to
1853 help people's souls and minds, and investing more in the
1854 mental health impact of violence both on people who have been
1855 directly impacted by violence physically but also those who
1856 are in close contact, because there is secondary trauma to
1857 everyone who is in close contact with that individual who has
1858 been shot and/or killed. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1859 And to think about ways that we can actually create
1860 greater mental health support for individuals who have been
1861 victimized by violence but also their close contacts.
1862 Mr. Rush. I want to ask, Madam Chair, if I could, Dr.
1863 Stewart -- Dr. Stewart, are you saying that --
1864 Oh. I yield back the balance of my time that has
1865 already run out.
1866 [Laughter.]
1867 Ms. Eshoo. I thank the gentleman.
1868 And I understand you are being driven to ask more
1869 questions because you care so much about this issue. But now
1870 I would like to start recognizing our colleagues that are
1871 here as guests of the committee today, all members of
1872 Congress, all from the great state of Illinois.
1873 And I want to recognize first my friend and colleague,
1874 Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. She has -- for many years she
1875 has served on our Health Subcommittee. In this Congress she
1876 is chairing another one.
1877 But she turns up religiously to our subcommittee
1878 hearings and has to wait for everyone else to ask their
1879 questions and then it is her turn, and it is the same today.
1880 But she is here. She cares enormously and it is a
1881 pleasure to recognize her and welcome her once again to the
1882 committee and its work.
1883 Ms. Schakowsky. Thank you. I want to thank you, This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1884 Chairman Eshoo. It is really a privilege to be able to waive
1885 onto the Health Subcommittee and so I don't mind waiving. I
1886 thank you for the opportunity.
1887 I want to ask a question of everyone here today. How
1888 many of you have lost a loved one due to gun violence that
1889 are here in this room? Raise your hand so I can see that.
1890 So it has affected a good chunk of this room for the
1891 panel to know -- on the panel and people behind you and
1892 including -- we have talked about Bobby Rush but also I was
1893 at the funeral for Danny Davis's grandson.
1894 So two issues I want to talk to. I want to talk to --
1895 talk more about the issue of trauma-informed care, which you
1896 raised, Pastor Mitchell, but also the intersection with race,
1897 which is really in many ways, I think, an elephant in this --
1898 in this room and on this issue.
1899 We know that black children and teens are 14 times more
1900 likely than white children and teens to die because of gun
1901 violence and that black men make up 52 percent of all gun
1902 homicide victims.
1903 So when you were talking about how it is people around
1904 those that have been killed, I think we are talking about
1905 whole communities -- whole communities -- where black
1906 children in particular but children of color -- let me put it
1907 that way, black and brown children -- are traumatized just
1908 from the time they are aware in this world of the dangers of This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1909 their -- of their communities.
1910 So racial disparities -- we know, for example, that
1911 women of color in Illinois are six times more likely to die
1912 related to childbirth than white women.
1913 So these disparities in health care are a real
1914 challenge. So I wanted to ask Dr. Lubin-Johnson, Dr. Rogers,
1915 anyone who really wants to answer this, to share what has
1916 been successful in dealing with trauma-informed and
1917 culturally competent care as we look at solutions to this --
1918 these problems.
1919 Did you want to start, Doctor, on the end?
1920 Dr. Lubin-Johnson. Thank you for the question,
1921 Congressman Schakowsky, and I am not a trauma surgeon so I
1922 will leave that to Dr. Rogers.
1923 But in terms of the culturally informed competent care,
1924 I think we really need to start with what I alluded to
1925 before, which is the structural racism in our country, in our
1926 -- that is affecting our communities, the health care that is
1927 received where those residents live, the education they
1928 receive, the housing that they live in, and understand and
1929 recognize that there is a disparity there that leads further
1930 due to the socioeconomic differences between our communities
1931 and others that really serves as a nadir, let us say, for
1932 violence to occur.
1933 And so, you know, I have become someone who is a This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1934 proponent of implicit bias training as to start with in terms
1935 of helping to eliminate some of the bias and discrimination
1936 in our country.
1937 And so what is implicit bias? It is bias that we are
1938 not conscious of but gets exhibited in various ways. And we
1939 are discovering, as you mentioned, with the issue with
1940 maternal mortality in African Americans -- that this plays a
1941 basis in it.
1942 I mean, if Serena Williams can't get the health care she
1943 needs, you know, postpartum, who can? And because of that,
1944 we have developed now -- most states have a maternal
1945 mortality review board.
1946 And maybe we need a violence fatality review board in
1947 our municipalities that take a look at the systems that
1948 interface with at-risk youth and who are victims of the
1949 perpetrators of violence and that will work.
1950 There are programs that do work --
1951 Ms. Schakowsky. I am going to cut -- sorry.
1952 Dr. Lubin-Johnson. Mm-hmm. No problem.
1953 Ms. Schakowsky. I do want to ask anyone. Dr. Rogers?
1954 Dr. Rogers. Addressing the point about trauma-informed
1955 care, basically involves meeting people where they are, not
1956 where you want them to be.
1957 Oftentimes, when we face people who have been the
1958 victims of violence we don't think about the lived This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1959 experiences that those people have had and how that impacts
1960 how they relates to the trauma that they are experiencing.
1961 Oftentimes, the trauma is not just an event that
1962 happened today but something that happened a week ago, a year
1963 ago, a decade ago, a generation ago.
1964 And we often do not find ways to incorporate that into
1965 care that will provide for that individual patient.
1966 Ms. Schakowsky. Let me -- let me -- I am sorry, let me
1967 just let Pastor Mitchell finish.
1968 Pastor Mitchell. I think the other thing, when you talk
1969 about the trauma-informed care is to really identify that
1970 there is a need for that in our communities because in the
1971 communities of color we don't identify with mental health or
1972 trauma care. There is always the stigma of being treated or
1973 seeking counseling and therapy.
1974 As a pastor, it is very difficult to say because in the
1975 congregation we believe that if God and I can't fix it then
1976 it is not meant to be done.
1977 But to actually, as I stated before, to allow yourself
1978 to be vulnerable enough to understand that God has said in
1979 that day knowledge would increase and to be able to accept
1980 the knowledge that is before us and to move ourselves toward
1981 wholeness.
1982 Ms. Schakowsky. I just want to say one more sentence.
1983 While I agree with all of you that it is going to take time, This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
1984 I also want to -- the t-shirts are Moms Demand Action, and I
1985 think whether it is going to take long or short, what people
1986 want to see now is steps -- concrete steps -- that represent
1987 action that is going to address this problem of gun violence
1988 in our communities.
1989 Thank you. I yield back.
1990 Ms. Eshoo. The gentlewoman yields back.
1991 And now I would like to recognize the gentlewoman from
1992 New York, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, and thank you for
1993 traveling from New York to be with us here today.
1994 You have three minutes for -- five minutes for your
1995 questioning.
1996 Ms. Clarke. Very well. Thank you so much, Madam
1997 Chairwoman.
1998 Let me thank you for doing this field hearing. Let me
1999 thank my colleagues of the Illinois delegation for welcoming
2000 a East Coast sister from Brooklyn for this hearing.
2001 And let me thank our expert witnesses who have come to
2002 testify before us today.
2003 Dr. Rogers, in the colloquialism of a New Yorker, it is
2004 a lot of levels to this thing, and I think that is one of the
2005 things that you have mentioned in and repeatedly through your
2006 testimony here today.
2007 Reverend Brenda Mitchell, I want you to know that we are
2008 on the same wavelength. I am going to give you three names: This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
2009 James E. Davis, Gabrielle Giffords, Steven Scalise.
2010 Each of these are colleagues of mine. One is in the
2011 past tense. His name is James E. Davis. He was a colleague
2012 who was gunned down before me in the New York City Council.
2013 I walk with that trauma every day. Every single day.
2014 And as you spoke of your experience, my experience is sitting
2015 here bubbling up.
2016 There is a lot of walking wounded, and there are many
2017 levels to this. It is proximity to what happened, relation
2018 to the individuals involved, community, and we have not
2019 really wrapped our arms around the extent to which Americans
2020 are being subjected to the pain of violence in our
2021 communities, in our nation overall.
2022 Because for many it may not even be someone who is
2023 immediate in their families. It may be a colleague. I have
2024 had two colleagues now in Congress gunned down. Thank God
2025 they were able to survive.
2026 But it is -- and we still haven't acted. One
2027 Republican, one Democrat. All of us walking around knowing
2028 that our colleagues were gunned down before us.
2029 So my question is, and I am going to open this to the
2030 panel, a comprehensive approach from a health and well-being
2031 standpoint, how does gun access and availability through
2032 trafficking create a dynamic for those who are looking to
2033 commit violence? This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
2034 And then what is the socioeconomic -- what are the
2035 socioeconomic indicators that we need to look at in terms of
2036 education and the opportunity gaps that help to fortify us
2037 against future actions?
2038 So it is a multi-pronged approach but I would like to
2039 just sort of get your take on it because I think that we are
2040 only scratching the surface of the many levels that we have
2041 to address through legislation and through behavior
2042 modification.
2043 Pastor Mitchell. I am going to yield to the experts in
2044 just a second. But I think that I am also on the school
2045 board in my community and so I get to see the disparity in
2046 terms of the education system and what children are
2047 presenting themselves with when coming into the classroom.
2048 I also get to see the socioeconomics and the
2049 institutional racism that kind of denies access to
2050 individuals.
2051 And so unless we take care of all of the different
2052 layers because it is not a one size fits all, there is
2053 trauma. There is gun violence. There is a lack of action
2054 from the Senate to move on things like the firearms and the
2055 red flag laws.
2056 And so all of those things, while they are not being
2057 taken care of, is still our reality and until, as Dr. Rogers
2058 said, we deal with the different levels of gun violence and This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
2059 the byproducts of gun violence, then we are doing a
2060 disservice to the public.
2061 Ms. Clarke. We only got a couple minutes. Does anyone
2062 else want to address that issue?
2063 Dr. Lubin-Johnson. So I would like to add something to
2064 that issue in terms of the intersectionality of what occurs
2065 with victims of, you know, violence and the socioeconomic
2066 status.
2067 One thing is, you know, we talk about adverse childhood
2068 experiences, and this is one of those, but also others are,
2069 you know, housing and access to food, et cetera.
2070 All these things are interrelated. I mean, we know that
2071 even those stressful childhood experiences of violence can
2072 carry over into adulthood with increased rates of heart
2073 disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, et cetera, and I
2074 think we have to develop programs that take all of that into
2075 account.
2076 Even, you know, the increased stress level of a mother
2077 could lead to increased preterm births, you know, as -- you
2078 know, as she is pregnant.
2079 And so I think we really have to look at how all these
2080 things, you know, in terms of efforts, childhood experiences,
2081 social determinants of health, how they all play a part in
2082 any program that is crafted to help --
2083 Ms. Clarke. Dr. Rogers, I did invoke your name. I did This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
2084 want to get your response very quickly.
2085 Dr. Rogers. Thank you. I do think, as you said, Ms.
2086 Clarke, it is multi-level and I think it is not going to be
2087 any one simple solution to this problem.
2088 But we have to be willing to tackle it on multi levels.
2089 I think -- I was going to make the comment earlier that race
2090 matters. I think if gun violence -- intentional gun violence
2091 was disproportionately affecting only white people there
2092 would be a different impetus for making some impact.
2093 But, similarly, if you look at the issue across the
2094 United States, we don't talk about the impact of suicide --
2095 gun suicide upon people's lives, the silent burden that
2096 families bear, and we need to be more open about the impact
2097 that that has throughout the country.
2098 Ms. Clarke. The red flag law.
2099 Madam Chair, I yield back. Thank you.
2100 Ms. Eshoo. The gentlewoman yields back. It is now an
2101 honor to recognize our colleague, Congressman Danny Davis. I
2102 said earlier the voice of God, and the sorrow of the tragedy
2103 of losing a family member that burden is being carried by the
2104 Congressman and his family when they buried their grandson.
2105 So this is -- it is very important to us that he is here
2106 with us today and that he will work to be part of the
2107 solution, learning from the witnesses. You have your five
2108 minutes to question, my friend. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
2109 Mr. Davis. Thank you very much, Chairman Eshoo, and I
2110 really want to thank you for bringing this hearing to
2111 Chicago. As far away as New York might be, California is
2112 even much further.
2113 And I want to thank Congressman Rush for requesting and
2114 the entire committee for acceding to that request.
2115 I am so pleased that so many members of the Committee on
2116 Energy and Commerce are here participating. We often have
2117 these kind of discussions throughout the country.
2118 But oftentimes, we don't have as many individuals who
2119 come from their districts to participate because there are
2120 things going on where they are.
2121 And so, Madam Chairman, this is an absolute great day
2122 for us. I want to thank all of the expert witnesses who have
2123 come, and as I have listened I thought of the fact that less
2124 than two months ago, two young individuals were tried,
2125 convicted, and sentenced to prison for the murder of my
2126 grandson, 15 years old.
2127 Their families are traumatized as much as our family,
2128 and my son was amazed when, at one of the eulogies, I said,
2129 you know, I am hurting for the families of the individuals
2130 who shot Javon.
2131 And he asked me -- he says, Daddy, did you mean what you
2132 said. I said, yeah, I really did, because just as there is
2133 going to be empty spaces at our Thanksgiving dinner table, This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
2134 there are going to be empty spaces at their Thanksgiving
2135 dinner table. And he said, well, the only thing I can say is
2136 I think you are a better man than I am.
2137 But that is one of the reasons that I am so pleased to
2138 have introduced with Senator Durbin a trauma-informed care
2139 bill that, hopefully, will move us in the direction of
2140 providing greater access to individuals who have experienced
2141 traumatic events.
2142 As we have heard, all of us, one way or the other,
2143 either collectively or individually, are having these
2144 experiences. And so yes, we need resources.
2145 But when I think of public health, my mother taught us
2146 that prevention was worth much more than cure. She would say
2147 an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.
2148 And so we know that there are things that we need to do in
2149 order to reduce the presence of guns.
2150 For example, I am big on mental health, trying to
2151 recognize its impact. But, you know, if a person is feeling
2152 a certain kind of anxiety and all they have got is a
2153 toothpick, they cannot kill 10 or 12 people in 30 seconds or
2154 less.
2155 So we must find a way to reduce the presence of guns in
2156 our society. We must find a way.
2157 [Applause.]
2158 Mr. Davis. We must find a way to eliminate access to This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
2159 these automatic and semi-automatic weapons that shouldn't be
2160 in the hands of anyone except military and perhaps in some
2161 instances law enforcement.
2162 [Applause.]
2163 Mr. Davis. We know what to do but we must have the will
2164 to do it. Had there not been a gun present in the little
2165 conversation that my grandson and his friends were having, he
2166 would be alive today and they would not be traumatized and
2167 facing prison. And so recognizing what to do and then doing
2168 it.
2169 My question is and my comment, gun violence is a crisis
2170 but so is poverty a health crisis. So is economic
2171 oppression. I understand the young man over here who is
2172 talking about jobs and he has come to believe that of all the
2173 issues because when we talk about the stats and the group
2174 that has the most homicides, half of those individuals are
2175 out of work, don't have a job, don't go to school, are not
2176 engaged in any kind of training program. So this also
2177 contributes to their utilization of other forces to do what
2178 they do.
2179 So, Spencer, my question -- Mr. Leak -- and I have
2180 attended many of those services that you provided and we see
2181 each other pretty much on a regular basis, almost every
2182 weekend there is one.
2183 How do we comprehensively face the issue that we have This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
2184 and try and make sure that we can seriously reduce gun
2185 violence and provide the help that individuals need to have
2186 once they have experienced it?
2187 Mr. Leak. Well, thank you, Congressman Davis.
2188 Ms. Eshoo. Microphone.
2189 Mr. Leak. Let me say that I have found that if we can
2190 change the mindset of the individuals that we -- these groups
2191 that we are talking about.
2192 When I was director of the jail I was telling Dr. Lubin
2193 that 50 percent of the inmate population were there because
2194 of mental health issues and what can the jail do about mental
2195 health other than to contain?
2196 But I submit that we have not brought into play the
2197 correctional systems -- federal and state and county -- of
2198 our nation.
2199 When I was the director of the jail, I did not,
2200 Congressman Davis, think that my job was to contain inmates
2201 or to confine them.
2202 My job was to correct them, and what I tried to do in
2203 that jail is to correct the individuals who come to us. They
2204 have no else -- they are confined and therefore they are
2205 individuals that we may change their lives at.
2206 So that is one area there. But I cannot -- I cannot
2207 reiterate to you and all of the Congressmen here that when I
2208 sit down with those mothers, Congressman, of those children This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
2209 killed in violence, I can't come up with anything
2210 comprehensive. I can't be really profound. I can only put
2211 my hand around that mother and say to her, let us have
2212 prayer.
2213 And the only thing that will get us through this crisis
2214 in gun violence and violence in general is we must -- there
2215 must be a faith-based solution. And I know that there are
2216 those who say it is unconstitutional.
2217 We should not -- we should separate church and state.
2218 But I say to you we have got to change the mindset and the
2219 only one who can change the mindset is the one who changes
2220 not.
2221 Mr. Davis. Thank you again, Chairman Eshoo. I really
2222 do, from a personal vantage point, thank you, Congressman
2223 Rush, and the entire subcommittee for bringing this
2224 tremendous hearing to Chicago.
2225 And I yield back.
2226 Ms. Eshoo. The gentleman yields back.
2227 And you should know that we all hold you in the center
2228 of our hearts and we think you are very, very special.
2229 I would just like to say to Mr. Leak that when you see a
2230 picture of the floor of the House of Representatives and the
2231 Speaker's chair, what is engraved over it are the following
2232 words: "In God We Trust."
2233 I now would like to recognize last but not least, This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
2234 certainly, our colleague, Chuy Garcia, from the Chicago area
2235 and thank you for joining us today and for your patience.
2236 You now have five minutes to question.
2237 Mr. Garcia. Thank you, Madam Chair, and to all the
2238 members of the committee and, of course, all the panelists.
2239 As all of you are keenly aware, gun violence is ravaging our
2240 communities.
2241 It is sad to think how normalized gun violence has
2242 become in our city and across the country and it is time for
2243 the government to quit cowering to the NRA and to do
2244 something about it.
2245 [Applause.]
2246 Mr. Garcia. I am sick of seeing headlines of shooting
2247 after shooting occurring all over our country.
2248 This week marked a two-year anniversary since my wife
2249 was coming home from going to visit a friend and parking her
2250 car in the garage and heard four gunshots.
2251 She ran to the front of the house to check to see what
2252 had happened. A 26-year-old was shot while standing over his
2253 bike. She called me to hurry home because this had happened.
2254 This is just one more testimonial to others that members have
2255 shared that none of us are immune to gun violence in our
2256 country today.
2257 Mass shootings have captured the national attention but
2258 are, in fact, a small share of gun violence in our country This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
2259 and Chicago is no stranger to the gun violence. It is
2260 constantly demonized by the president. It is a popular
2261 talking point for those who claim that gun control doesn't
2262 work.
2263 But there is a big difference between the factors that
2264 create the conditions for shootings and our city and mass
2265 shootings other places. Our black and Latino communities
2266 have been harmed for generations by disinvestment, racism,
2267 poverty, and gang violence.
2268 I want to ask Dr. Rogers why is it important that
2269 research properly identifies the root causes of gun violence
2270 and distinguishes mass shootings from the types of gun
2271 violence we witness in Chicago?
2272 Dr. Rogers. Thank you, Congressman Garcia.
2273 As noted, mass shootings represent less than 1 percent
2274 of total shootings in the United States but
2275 disproportionately gets all of the media attention when, in
2276 fact, daily people die from gun violence and suicides by guns
2277 without getting the same attention.
2278 It is only through dedicated research will we understand
2279 exactly what works be it safer guns, be it hand-imprinted
2280 ways of protecting who actually fires a handgun, for example,
2281 or actually thinking more holistically what are the primary
2282 and secondary prevention efforts that we can do to prevent
2283 people from being injured by firearms in the United States. This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
2284 Mr. Garcia. And very briefly, how do we get
2285 stakeholders including the media and law enforcement to
2286 properly and responsibly report and highlight these
2287 differences?
2288 Dr. Rogers. I think one of the things that is happening
2289 today, the ability to try to listen in a way that actually
2290 respects people's different viewpoints. I think that is a
2291 important starting point for dialogue.
2292 Mr. Garcia. Very well.
2293 So recently our country witnessed the deadliest racially
2294 motivated attack targeting Latinos in modern American history
2295 in El Paso. But this is not an isolated incident.
2296 In fact, nationally, from 2016 to 2017, there was a 24
2297 percent increase in hate crimes against Latinos, fueled by
2298 white supremacy and hateful rhetoric coming from the White
2299 House.
2300 I visited El Paso in the wake of the shooting and as our
2301 community mourned we also understood that the president is
2302 not contributing to preventing these incidents. He is
2303 contributing to encouraging this type of violence.
2304 I want to ask Dr. Kerr as my final question -- Mr. Kerr
2305 -- what types of resources and community engagement will the
2306 city and the relatively new administration commit to
2307 providing communities most afflicted by gun violence in
2308 Chicago? This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
2309 And I ask that understanding that this is a national
2310 panel but we are also looking at what cities are doing to --
2311 in response to the gun epidemic.
2312 Mr. Kerr. Sure. So as I mentioned earlier, Mayor
2313 Lightfoot's investment in violence -- this is something I
2314 know is a big issue for her and we are poised to work with
2315 other organizations and entities because this is an all-
2316 hands-on-deck approach that is needed to address this issue.
2317 So we are doing inventory of our programming to making
2318 sure that we are -- we have ample prevention programs but
2319 also thinking in a comprehensive way. We need prevention and
2320 we need intervention, and we need that comprehensive approach
2321 to also go along partners.
2322 So who needs to be at the table? So, of course, city,
2323 county, state, federal, but also including our local partners
2324 in the process.
2325 So we have been able to have different town hall
2326 meetings over the last few months to engage organizations, to
2327 engage residents to be on board to give their input, to
2328 contribute to the strategy, because we know it is important
2329 to have them available on the ground.
2330 Mr. Garcia. Thank you, Madam Chair. I think my time
2331 has run out.
2332 Ms. Eshoo. The gentleman yields back.
2333 I think that this now concludes the time of questioning This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
2334 on the part of members. On behalf of every member of the
2335 subcommittee, we want to thank each one of you, the
2336 witnesses.
2337 Chicago is known as the Windy City. But I think here
2338 today you have really put some wind at our back to address
2339 this issue that we are grappling with that has caused so much
2340 grief only here in this community but in communities across
2341 our country, the damage to people's lives, the loss of life,
2342 but what we can do about this relative to public health and
2343 the epidemic that it really represents.
2344 So each one of us are extraordinarily grateful to you.
2345 What you have given to us will be the -- is foundational for
2346 us to build legislation on and I believe that we have a lot
2347 to work with because you have given us examples of what is
2348 happening at the medical center here, what is happening at
2349 the medical center in Texas. That can be highly instructive
2350 to us, that we have wraparound services.
2351 Pastor Mitchell, for what you referenced and other
2352 witnesses, this is a rich record that you have provided for
2353 us. We are very grateful to you for it.
2354 I want to remind members that pursuant to committee
2355 rules, each member has 10 business days to submit additional
2356 questions to the witnesses.
2357 We hope that you will respond in a timely manner because
2358 that part of the record is very important to us as well that This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
2359 all of it be captured and I trust that you will do that.
2360 I now would like to ask unanimous consent to enter into
2361 the record the letter of support from the Association of
2362 American Medical Colleges. We thank the association for that
2363 and, hearing no objection, so ordered.
2364 [The information follows:]
2365 This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
2366 Ms. Eshoo. Isn't that nice that I can say that?
2367 Hearing no -- just like that, it is like my little magic
2368 wand.
2369 And, again, to everyone that is here in the audience,
2370 there are advocates here that give so much of their time to
2371 push and to push, to push and to push.
2372 Your time is not wasted. You are -- you are really --
2373 you have formed a national corps of patriots to address gun
2374 violence in our country and we are so deeply grateful to you.
2375 To those who have suffered the losses in your family, I
2376 said in the beginning that your -- that your grief more than
2377 fuels the effort that we are taking on. We carry you with us
2378 and we want you to know that.
2379 To all the press that is here -- I also want to salute
2380 and thank the committee staff. It is not an easy thing to do
2381 to take a committee on the road and to get everything set up.
2382 So they not only worked in Washington, D.C., but they
2383 came here before the members arrived to get everything
2384 organized and I think that we can show our appreciation by
2385 applauding and thanking them.
2386 Thank you.
2387 [Applause.]
2388 Ms. Eshoo. Thank you to everyone. And with that, at
2389 this time the subcommittee --
2390 Mr. Rush. Madam Chair? Madam Chair? This is a preliminary, unedited transcript. The statements within may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misattributed to the speaker. A link to the final, official transcript will be posted on the Committee’s website as soon as it is available.
2391 Ms. Eshoo. Yes, Mr. Rush?
2392 Mr. Rush. I also want to acknowledge the work of my own
2393 district staff who worked hand in hand with the committee
2394 staff to make sure that this was set up.
2395 Ms. Eshoo. Well, of course, and I know how closely they
2396 worked with the committee staff. Thank you.
2397 [Applause.]
2398 Ms. Eshoo. With that, the subcommittee is now
2399 adjourned.
2400 [Whereupon, at 11:58 a.m., the subcommittee was
2401 adjourned.]