The office of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) announced Tuesday that the senator will support a measure to protect veterans who were stripped of their Second Amendment Rights due to a clerical process mandated by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ health payment system.
Paul has joined 16 other Republican Senators to support the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act, introduced by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La). Kennedy’s bill is designed to stop veterans from being denied firearms purchases after receiving help managing their Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits. The current law requires that any veteran seeking assistance in managing or accessing their VA benefits is automatically directed to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
Paul stated, “No veteran should be forced to choose between getting the help they need or preserving their constitutional right.” “The VA’s longstanding policy unfairly targets those who have served our country by placing bureaucratic decisions above due process.”
Kennedy’s bill would make changes to the way the law is currently interpreted and place restrictions on the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, who can refer veterans for criminal background checks simply because they ask for assistance in managing their benefits. This new proposal would allow a referral only if “the beneficiary is a threat to himself or others.”
Kennedy stated that “our veterans shouldn’t receive less rights to due process than other Americans, just because they served their country and asked for federal assistance.”
Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) echoed the sentiments of his colleagues regarding the bureaucratic entanglements that veterans are in. He added, “Veterans should not be forced to give up the Second Amendment before a constitutionally sound process.” Bureaucracy is at its worst when it tries to deny former servicemen the right to own firearms, whether for protection or recreational purposes, because they need help managing their benefits. “Our legislation would correct this unfairness and preserve the rights of these law-abiding patriots.”
The bill has been endorsed not only by the Republican Senators but also by several veterans’ and gun advocacy organizations, including the American Legion and the Black Veterans Empowerment Council. It is also backed up by the Gun Owners of America and the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
