The American Medical Association came out in support of a slew of progressive proposals to curb gun violence on Tuesday.
At the physicians group’s annual policymaking meeting, delegates voted to support, among other things, a ban on assault weapons, an age minimum of 21 to purchase or possess guns and ammunition, and legislation giving relatives the ability to seek a court order to remove guns from individuals who are suicidal or potentially violent.
The group, which has more than 243,000 members, cited data showing the massive toll that gun violence takes on American society—40,000 gun-related deaths in 2016 and nearly 111,000 injuries—in its endorsement of stricter gun regulations.
“It has been frustrating that we have seen so little action from either state or federal legislators,” David Barbe, the outgoing AMA president, said at the meeting. “The most important audience for our message right now is our legislators, and second most important is the public, because sometimes it requires public pressure on the legislators.”
