In New Letter, Mayors Raise Concern Over Proposed Cuts, Policy Riders in Public Safety Funding Bill

FY 2025 Appropriations Bill passed by the House threatens progress on public safety and gun violence prevention

Washington, D.C.- Today, United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) President Columbus (OH) Mayor Andrew Ginther and USCM CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives calling on them to reverse several cuts and policy pronouncements the FY 2025 Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill recently reported out of the Appropriations Committee. This bill significantly undermines the progress cities have made in recent years in reducing crime and gun violence by including drastic budget cuts to critical federal law enforcement agencies and the elimination of key violence prevention programs.

The letter reads in part, "Just as we're making real progress in reducing crime and violence in our cities it would move us in the opposite direction. The bill reported out of Committee will likely increase gun violence and its toll on our residents and on cities large and small throughout the nation."

Since 1968, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has supported commonsense and comprehensive strategies to reduce gun violence and protect communities across the country. Assuring public safety remains a top priority of the organization.

Full text of the letter can be found below, and a copy is linked here:

July 23, 2024

Dear Speaker Johnson and Leader Jeffries:

America's mayors are shocked and concerned by the FY 2025 Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill recently reported out of the Appropriations Committee. Just as we're making real progress in reducing crime and violence in our cities it would move us in the opposite direction. The bill reported out of Committee will likely increase gun violence and its toll on our residents and on cities large and small throughout the nation.

This misguided legislation would:

• Cut ATF's budget by $189 million below this year's level, which is $50 million less than was available last year, thus further hindering its ability to monitor federal firearms licensees, reduce illegal gun trafficking, stop criminals from obtaining weapons, and partner with local and state law enforcement agencies to investigate gun crimes;
• Defund ATF's rules on pistol braces and privately made firearms and Executive Order 14092, which calls for an assault weapons ban;
• Provide nearly $1 billion less than the President proposed for the FBI, thus weakening the ability of the FBI to fight violent crime, often through partnerships with our local police departments, and counter threats to national security;
• Make our communities more vulnerable to crime by eliminating the effective Community Violence Intervention and Prevention grant program and the Community Relations Service and cutting Juvenile Justice, Violence Against Women, hate crimes grants and other resources that prevent violence.

Particularly distressing is the Committee's statement that the bill "addresses the ATF's harassment of Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) while ensuring it stays focused on its mission of serving the industries it regulates." Clearly this bill prioritizes serving an industry over saving lives and serving the American people.

We understand the House may take it up soon. We urge you to reverse these and other devastating cuts and policy pronouncements so that we can work together to make our cities and our nation safer.

Sincerely,
Andrew J. Ginther Tom Cochran

Mayor of Columbus, OH CEO and Executive Director

President

cc: Members of the House of Representatives

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.