Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., will support a bill that seeks to ensure protection for veterans who have been stripped of their Second Amendment rights due to a clerical procedure mandated by the Department of Veterans Affairs health payment system, the senator's office announced on Tuesday.
Paul joins 16 other Republican senators in support of the bill introduced by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., "The Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act." Kennedy's bill aims to prevent veterans from being denied the purchase of firearms after receiving assistance in managing their Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. Under the current law, any veteran who needs assistance accessing or managing their benefits plan in the VA is automatically referred to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
"No veteran should have to choose between getting the help they need and preserving their constitutional rights," Paul said. "The VA's longstanding policy unfairly targets those who served our country, placing bureaucratic decisions above due process."
Kennedy's bill seeks adjustments in how the current law is interpreted and places restrictions on how the secretary of Veterans Affairs can refer a veteran for a criminal background check simply by asking for help in managing benefits. The new proposal would only permit such a referral if the "beneficiary is a danger to himself or others."
"Our veterans should not receive less due process rights than other Americans just because they served our country and asked the federal government for a helping hand," Kennedy said.
Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., echoed his colleagues' sentiment regarding the bureaucratic entanglements veterans find themselves in, adding, "Veterans must not be required to forfeit the Second Amendment without a careful, constitutional process. Attempting to deprive former service members of firearms for protection or recreation simply because they require assistance managing the benefits they have earned is bureaucracy at its worst. Our legislation would correct this injustice and preserve these law-abiding patriots' rights."
In addition to the Republican senators, the bill is endorsed by several veterans and gun advocate organizations, including the American Legion, Black Veterans Empowerment Council, Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition, Gun Owners of America, Military Order of the Purple Heart, National Association for Gun Rights, National Disability Rights Network, National Rifle Association, and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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