Larson Blasts Republican Vote to Undermine Background Checks and Put Veterans at Greater Risk of Suicide

Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted against H.R. 1041, Republican legislation that would weaken the background check system and put veterans in danger. Approximately 4,600 veterans die by firearm suicide every year, and the veteran firearm suicide rate has increased by 58 percent over the past two decades.

"The gun violence epidemic continues to plague our nation - it is the leading cause of death for children, and nearly 5,000 of our veterans lose their lives to firearm suicide every year," said Larson. "Democrats are ready to enact common-sense reforms, like universal background checks and an assault weapons ban, to prevent violence and keep our communities safe. Instead, Republicans voted to make it easier for veterans at risk of suicide to get their hands on deadly firearms. The bill we voted on today is a threat to the safety of our veterans and communities across the country. We should all be able to come together to support veterans in crisis with the mental health care they need, while protecting everyone from this endless scourge of gun violence."

H.R. 1041 would prevent the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) from transmitting information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) when the VA appoints a fiduciary as a result of a diagnosed mental illness or severe injury preventing a beneficiary from managing their own affairs - undermining a system put in place to protect veterans and those around them, and making it harder to conduct accurate background checks before firearms are purchased. It would also retroactively remove all veterans on the NICS list due to VA reporting without any consideration to the veteran's circumstances.