Mike Thompson: “I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and thank her for her leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition…”

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and thank her for her leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this piece of legislation. This bill undermines our commitment to our veterans, it weakens our background check system, and it puts guns in the hands of those who shouldn't have them. I am a combat veteran and I am a gun owner. I strongly support the Second Amendment. With responsible gun ownership comes the recognition that not everyone is mentally capable to own a gun. Every day, 20 veterans take their own life, most of those with a firearm, so the VA acted to prevent violence and to comply with the law by keeping guns out of the hands of veterans who are in crisis. These are veterans with very serious diagnoses, including 20,000 veterans diagnosed with schizophrenia, over 11,000 with dementia, and more than 5,000 with Alzheimer's. Passing this bill would remove their names from our background check system. This is absolute stupidity. The VA has done a good job to keep more than 174,000 veterans with serious mental health problems from getting a gun. They are working hard to save the lives of these veterans. This bill would make it easier for veterans to take their own life. I don't want to see another veteran become a statistic. Passing this bill puts our veterans at risk. We owe them the best care and support. Sadly, this bill would leave them more vulnerable than ever.…”