Statement: Distinguished Veteran Leaders On House Vote To Weaken The Background Check System, Put Veterans Safety At Risk
March 16, 2017 — Today, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would severely undercut the current process the Veterans Administration uses to identify veterans who are prohibited from gun ownership because of mental health concerns. Following the vote, Navy combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, the Co-Founder of Americans for Responsible Solutions, and General Peter W. Chiarelli, member of the Veterans Coalition for Common Sense, released the below statements:
Captain Mark Kelly, Navy combat veteran, retired NASA astronaut and the Co-Founder of Americans for Responsible Solutions:
“At a time when roughly 7,000 veterans are committing suicide every year, the House of Representatives passed a dangerous new bill that would make it easier for veterans in crisis to access firearms. Instead of passing legislation that would give our veterans who are facing a mental health crisis the world-class resources they need and deserve, our lawmakers passed a bill that would put veterans at risk. I hope the U.S. Senate listens to our nation’s veteran leaders and rejects this irresponsible bill.”
General Peter W. Chiarelli, USA (Ret.), advisory committee member for the Veterans Coalition for Common Sense:
“As someone who spent years working to reduce our nation’s veteran suicide epidemic, I’m shocked that Congress would make it easier for those in distress, requiring medical help, to get their hands on a gun. Every day, our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives to protect us. When they return home, we should protect them. Congress has a duty to ensure these heroes’ safety and they can do so through rational and honorable gun safety legislation for those suffering from the hidden wounds of war. Our veterans in crisis need our help, not guns.”
Earlier this week, Americans for Responsible Solutions released a letter signed by distinguished Veteran leaders from across the country calling on Congress to reject legislation that would severely undercut the current process the Veterans Administration uses to identify veterans who are prohibited from gun ownership because of mental health concerns.
The letter, which was read on the House floor by Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, is signed by members of the Veterans Coalition for Common Sense, a national initiative launched by Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Navy Combat Veteran and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, and includes: Admiral Thad Allen, USCG (Ret.); General Peter W. Chiarelli, USA (Ret.); General Wesley Clark, USA (Ret.); General Michael V. Hayden, USA (Ret.); General James T. Hill, USA (Ret.); General Stanley A. McChrystal, USA (Ret.); Admiral Eric T. Olson, USN (Ret.); General David H. Petraeus, USA (Ret.); Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, USA (Ret.); Lieutenant General Russel Honoré, USA (Ret.); Lieutenant General Claudia J. Kennedy, USA (Ret.); Lieutenant General Norman R. Seip, USAF (Ret.); Rear Admiral James “Jamie” A. Barnett, USN (Ret.); Brigadier General Stephen A. Cheney, USMC (Ret.).
About H.R. 1181 & The Epidemic of Veteran Suicide
Shortly after the tragedy at Virginia Tech, Congress passed, and President Bush signed, bipartisan legislation requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to send the names of veterans who have clear and convincing evidence of mental incompetency to the National Instant Criminal Background Checks system.
Brought to consideration after only a few days’ notice, H.R. 1181 would reverse that law, and immediately remove more than 174,000 mental health records from the background check system. That number includes veterans who are currently prohibited from obtaining guns because they are struggling with conditions like long-term severe PTSD, schizophrenia, and dementia.
The data on veteran suicide is strong and disconcerting. An average of 20 veterans commit suicide each day, two-thirds of whom do so by using a firearm. Non-deployed veterans are at a 61 percent higher risk of suicide compared to the American civilian population, and deployed veterans are at a 41 percent higher risk. Researchers who study gun suicides have found that guns are the most lethal means of suicide and the decision to end one’s life is often spontaneous. Eliminating access to firearms during a mental health crisis can mean the difference between life and death.