(CNN) Democratic members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce are calling on Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to explain how the school safety commission that she chairs will study gun violence as part of its work.

In a letter on Friday, 17 Democratic members of the committee called on DeVos to explain how the commission will explore the role of guns, saying that "a conversation on school safety void of the discussion of guns ignores a significant root of the problem." The Democrats are led by Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Democrat from Delaware.

The letter came in response to DeVos' comments at a Senate subcommittee hearing earlier this week that the commission, which was set up after the deadly shooting in Parkland, Florida, would not focus on how guns contribute to school violence.

"The Commission was charged with recommending policies and funding proposals to prevent school violence," the letter said. "A core element of combating school violence is addressing gun violence, both in school and in our communities."

The lawmakers wrote that while the commission can't change gun laws itself, it "can study and develop 'meaningful and actionable recommendations to keep students safe at school,' which may include policy recommendations to Congress or regulatory actions for other agencies."

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