ARS Denounces House GOP Vote To Weaken The National Instant Criminal Background Check System

WASHINGTON, DC — Americans for Responsible Solutions, the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Navy combat veteran and NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, issued the below statement today on the House passage of H.J. Res. 40, a dangerous proposal that would revoke the finalized Social Security Administration rule that requires the agency to report the names of certain beneficiaries with fiduciaries and severe mental impairments to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

STATEMENT BY ROBIN LLOYD, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR, AMERICANS FOR RESPONSIBLE SOLUTIONS

“In the aftermath of the mass shooting at Virginia Tech, President George W. Bush signed the bipartisan NICS Improvement Amendments Act (NIAA) of 2007, which sought to ensure individuals who are ineligible to possess guns for mental health or other reasons could be easily identified through the background check system. Last year, the Social Security Administration finalized a rule that fulfills the core objective of the NIAA: to prevent individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others from having access to firearms.

“Today, House Republicans passed a partisan proposal that would revoke this responsible rule, weaken the current background check system, and make our communities less safe. Most concerning, this resolution prohibits any future Administrative action on this issue, which creates a dangerous precedent for our federal gun laws.”