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AAP News Vol. 15 No. 8 August 1999, p. 4 © 1999 American Academy of Pediatrics
In one of the most dramatic and heated debates in recent congressional history, the U.S. House of Representatives failed in June to pass legislation to protect America's youth from the epidemic of gun violence. The final version of the bill was voted down after amendments were added that would have loosened current gun laws. The Academy actively supported legislation to protect children from gun violence and reduce youth access to firearms. In a letter to Congress, the Academy stressed that "pediatricians continue to view firearms as agents of death, affecting increasing numbers of children's lives each year. Firearm deaths and injuries have become epidemic, with 16 children on average killed each day."
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