Mark Takano: “VA is required by law to transmit the names of the VA beneficiaries to the National Instant Criminal Background Check…”

“VA is required by law to transmit the names of the VA beneficiaries to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which prevents them from buying a firearm, but let me make one thing abundantly clear. Under no circumstances has VA ever confiscated anyone's firearms. Seeking mental health care from the Veterans Health Administration will not result in a veteran's firearms being taken away. VA does not have legal authority to do so. Only under a discrete set of circumstances for a very discrete population does the Veterans Health Administration report veterans to NICS. Madam Chair, the stigma around seeking mental health care at VA is a real one. It is also a multifaceted problem we are trying to tackle. Partisan stunts like this amendment make that fight more difficult because it leads to misinformation about the fiduciary program, a program meant to protect vulnerable veterans and beneficiaries. We had a legislative hearing on Representative Bost's bill on this topic, and it was abundantly clear that there were problems with that bill. My colleagues are attempting to go this route, through the appropriations process, which is harmful because it strips money from VA for political purposes. Madam Chair, when we discussed this bill last week in the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, we also learned of a great deal of concern about due process, but let me be clear on this point.…”