Politics

Biden’s HHS Picks Have Called Gun Laws A Matter Of Public Health

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Two of President-elect Joe Biden’s picks to lead the Department of Health and Human Services have likened gun control to a public health issue.

Vivek Murthy, the 19th Surgeon General, in 2012 criticized the National Rifle Association (NRA) and tweeted that firearms are a “health care issue.” Murthy, who’s the co-chair of the former vice president’s coronavirus task force, has been included on a Bloomberg list of possible Biden HHS appointees.

Tired of politicians playing politics w/ guns, putting lives at risk b/c they’re scared of NRA. Guns are a health care issue. #debatehealth

— Vivek Murthy (@vivek_murthy) October 17, 2012

The former surgeon general was relieved of his duties by President Donald Trump’s administration in 2017, according to Vox.

Democratic Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, who introduced an “assault weapons” ban and magazine capacity limits in her state, is also a prominent possible pick for Biden’s HHS, according to Bloomberg. The governor called firearms in America a “disturbing and preventable public health crises,” Fox News reported.

“It is unacceptable that our children are growing up in a country where they have to worry about gun violence,” Raimondo said, according to Fox. “This is one of the most disturbing and preventable public health crises of this generation, and we owe it to our children to take action.”

Biden’s gun control plan includes a full-scale ban on so-called “assault weapons” and “high-capacity magazines” in addition to a red flag confiscation law and the repeal of gun manufacturer and seller liability protections, according to his campaign website.