In January 2016 Markey led 18 senators in signing a letter to Thad Cochran and Barbara Mikulski requesting that the Labor , Health and Education subcommittee hold a hearing on whether to allow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) to fund a study of gun violence and " the annual appropriations rider that some have interpreted as preventing it " with taxpayer dollars . The senators noted their support for taking steps " to fund gun-violence research , because only the United States government is in a position to establish an integrated public-health research agenda to understand the causes of gun violence and identify the most effective strategies for prevention . " After the Orlando nightclub shooting , Markey called for more gun regulations and supported the Feinstein Amendment , which would have made it illegal for suspected terrorists to buy guns . He also supports universal background checks
Orlando nightclub shooting
Orlando nightclub shooting
Ed Markey