WASHINGTON – Today, after the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act — which would undermine background check requirements for some veterans with mental health issues — passed out of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, Everytown for Gun Safety released the following statements:
“Americans owe an enormous debt to our veterans, and that includes doing everything we can to prevent at-risk vets from gaining access to guns when they are in crisis—but this reckless bill would do the exact opposite,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “We urge Congress to do right by those who have served and reject this bill, which would only inflame our nation’s terrible epidemic of veteran gun suicide.”
“When we talk about solving our gun violence crisis, that must include policies that prevent firearm suicide,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. “It would be a disastrous step backwards to weaken background checks for veterans — a demographic that is three times more likely to die by gun suicide than non-veterans. We need Congress to prioritize bills that actually support veterans in crisis, instead of facilitating their access to a deadly weapon.”