Press Releases

Washington, D.C. - Today the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) applauded a victory for children when the U.S. Senate broke the strangle-hold of the gun industry and the National Rifle Association by passing important gun safety amendments and rejecting a bill that would have given immunity to the gun industry and its trade associations. The common sense safety measures passed included an extension of the assault weapons ban, a requirement for background checks before the sale or transfer of weapons at gun shows, and a requirement that gun manufacturers include childproof locks when selling handguns. The Children's Defense Fund now calls on the President to work with Congress to pass a strong and effective assault weapons ban, as well as the gun show background check and child safety lock provisions without giving the gun industry a free pass from liability.

CDF had fought passage of the immunity bill, which would have denied victims of gun violence and their families the fundamental right to pursue legal redress and accountability from negligent gun manufacturers and dealers.

"In America, a child is killed by gunfire every three hours," said Marian Wright Edelman, President of CDF. "The immunity bill would have protected the economic interests of the gun industry at the expense of the lives of children and families. Today the U.S. Senate has spoken loudly and clearly that it is time for this country to start protecting children instead of guns."

The latest data show that every day in America eight children and teens are killed by firearms and more than 50 children die from gunshots every week. In addition, four to five times as many children and teens suffer from nonfatal firearm injuries each year. Between 1979 and 2001, gunfire killed almost 93,000 children and teens in America and hundreds of thousands more adults, devastating countless families.

"The time is now to enact gun safety measures that will finally and meaningfully protect the lives of children and their families for generations to come," said Edelman.

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The mission of the Children's Defense Fund is to Leave No Child Behind and to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. CDF provides a strong, effective voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves. We pay particular attention to the needs of poor and minority children and those with disabilities. CDF educates the nation about the needs of children and encourages preventive investment before they get sick, into trouble, drop out of school, or suffer family breakdown. CDF began in 1973 and is a private, nonprofit organization supported by foundation and corporate grants and individual donations. We have never taken government funds.