In a Victory for Gun Violence Prevention, President Biden Includes Major Funding for Community Violence Intervention in Path Forward on Build Back Better Act

New York, NY — Today, the President announced a way forward on the Build Back Better Act, and expressed his confidence that it will pass. While we await its passage in Congress, we are enthused that many of its provisions will uplift Americans across the board, and, in doing so, help address some of the root causes of gun violence. We know that when people and communities prosper, we are all made safer for it. This bill moves us in that direction.

We are especially excited that the President and Congress heard the clarion call of millions of Americans, and namely survivors of gun violence, who demanded that this bill retain its promised funding for community violence intervention. Such programs focus on preventing violence from happening in the first place and ensure that the communities that have historically been underserved receive life-saving resources. CVI programming has already aided cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City in the fight against gun violence and has the potential to transform public safety in America.

As Congress prepares this bill for a vote, we hope and expect that the full $5 billion investment will make it into the final bill. Gun violence remains a public health emergency that young people have endured our entire lives—it doesn’t have to be this way, and we hope that Congress takes action. The significance of this funding cannot be understated; the lives of real people are on the line.

March For Our Lives activists are available for comment on the historic significance of this funding and its impact on young people.