Congressman Pat Harrigan Votes to Protect Veterans' Second Amendment Rights

Contact: Lexi Kranich (814) 380-4408

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, Congressman Pat Harrigan (NC-10) voted in favor of H.R. 1041, the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act, legislation to prohibit the Department of Veterans Affairs from transmitting veterans' personal information to the Department of Justice for use in the national instant criminal background check system solely on the basis that a veteran has been assigned a fiduciary to manage their benefits.

"Every year, veterans who need help managing their VA benefits are flagged in the federal background check system and blocked from purchasing a firearm, not because a judge found them dangerous, not because of any criminal record, but because the VA assigned them a fiduciary," said Congressman Harrigan. "That is not how we treat the people who served this country, and this bill puts a stop to it."

The Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act prohibits the VA from transmitting veterans' personally identifiable information to the Department of Justice for use in the background check system unless a judge, magistrate, or other judicial authority has found them to be a danger to themselves or others. The legislation also requires the VA to notify the Attorney General that prior transmittals made solely on the basis of a fiduciary designation were without legal basis, and ensures that a determination of mental incompetence alone cannot be used to flag a veteran in the system.

Congressman Harrigan has been a consistent advocate for veterans' rights and will continue fighting to ensure the men and women who served this country are treated with the dignity and respect they have earned.