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Advocacy Groups Call On Obama To Boost Funding For Anti-Gun Violence Initiatives

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- Victims of gun violence and advocacy groups in New York City want President Obama to add more federal funding for anti-gun violence initiatives.

Advocacy Groups Call On Obama To Boost Funding For Anti-Gun Violence Initiatives

The organizations joined U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) on the steps of City Hall on Saturday morning.

Advocacy Groups Call On Obama To Boost Funding For Anti-Gun Violence Initiatives

They said that more money is needed to research policy that could reduce gun violence.

"Good policies are based on good data and we need good data for prevention," Maloney said.

Maloney urged President Obama to include $10-million in the upcoming budget to research gun violence and how to stop it. She called gun violence an epidemic.

"It kills on average 31,000 Americans a year, wounding over 80,000 every year," she said.

Maloney said that it is up to congress to get past the NRA's lobbying efforts which she said has prevented research for 17 years.

The study would be spearheaded by the Centers for Disease Control.

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