Following Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s push for more gun control under the guise of declaring “gun violence” a “public health crisis,” (see related story) the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms announced its support for the proposed Protecting the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Act, sponsored by Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN).
Sen. Braun’s legislation, which was originally introduced last fall, is co-sponsored by Senators Thom Tillis, Kevin Cramer, Jim Risch, Mike Crapo, Cynthia Lummis, Joni Ernst, Cindy Hyde-Smith, John Hoeven, Steve Daines, Ted Budd, Roger Wicker, Rick Scott, Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley, John Thune, Mike Rounds, Joni Ernst, Markwayne Mullin, Ted Cruz, and JD Vance.
“Dr. Murthy’s declaration was an outrage,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “He has joined other Biden administration officials who have weaponized their positions and agencies against the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. His contention that gun-related violent crime is a public health issue is nothing more than a scam to push Joe Biden’s gun control agenda.”
Surgeon General Murthy’s thrust into gun control politics quickly turned into a fiasco, as gun rights groups and pro-Second Amendment political leaders roundly lambasted the doctor for using his office as something of a bully pulpit in an effort to advance the Biden-Harris gun prohibition crusade.
The Surgeon General’s website includes this job description: “The U.S. Surgeon General is the Nation’s Doctor, providing Americans with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury. The Surgeon General oversees the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, an elite group of over 6,000 uniformed officers who are public health professionals. The USPHS mission is to protect, promote, and advance the health of our nation.”
Yet, immediately after issuing his declaration, the website listed “Firearm Violence” as the newest priority for his office at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“We’re delighted that Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) has announced she will work to strip power from the Department of Health and Human Services,” Gottlieb noted, “and cut all funding for bureaucrats who are using their positions to erode our Constitutional rights.”
Gottlieb reiterated his earlier condemnation of Murthy’s declaration, noting, “Violent crime is not a disease, it’s a symptom of failed leadership, starting with Joe Biden and going all the way down through his administration.”
“From the moment Joe Biden stepped into the Oval office,” Gottlieb said, “he has used government officials and agencies to advance his gun ban agenda. The Surgeon General’s announcement this week is just the latest manifestation of this effort. Murthy even admitted this is the first time in history a Surgeon General has issued an advisory calling gun-related violence a public health issue. It isn’t, and never has been. Violent crime is a law enforcement issue, period. Dr. Murthy should stick to fighting flu bugs and stay away from firearms.”
