Veterans whom the government declares incapable of managing their own affairs would have easier access to firearms under spending legislation expected to be signed by President Joe Biden in the coming days.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., speaks during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing to examine the cost of prescription drugs, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington. – Veterans whom the government declares incapable of managing their own affairs would have easier access to firearms underexpected to be signed by President Joe Biden in the coming days — a reversal of current law that Republicans, and even some Democrats, have been pushing for years.
While several Republicans supported that legislation, though, some Democrats have supported the change in VA policy, including Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont. Tester, who also sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee. Tester has been pushing to reverse the law for several years, arguing that many veterans won’t collect their benefits at all because they are afraid that their guns will be taken away.
The Senate endorsed the language in an amendment vote last fall, 53-45, with a handful of Democrats voting in support. Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, who offered the amendment, said that “veterans who sacrificed to defend our Constitution shouldn’t see their own rights rest on the judgment of unelected bureaucrats.”
“The standard that is applied related to the fiduciary responsibilities is a standard that we take great care with, that has been developed over much time and is meant to address a very delicate situation,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said last year. Gun control advocates said they would continue to try to prevent future legislation from expanding access to firearms.
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