On the recordMarch 16, 2017
I appreciate my colleague from the Rules Committee yielding me time. I can't be in any more agreement with my friend from Florida just now. We talked about this actually in the Rules Committee yesterday. If you look at the actual language in the rule, it gets down to the fact that you are adjudicated a mental defective. That is language that has to be stopped in this. I know my friend from the Rules Committee, and we serve on Judiciary together, we are going to actually look into this. Because if we really want to start talking about veterans and suicide, then we need to start addressing it head-on in real terms and in real ways with the issues that they face and not simply saying that we are going to take a right away. It is amazing to me that we are discussing this issue. What about the other amendments? Well, we are just going to do the Second Amendment. In fact, what is happening right now among many, and for those who need to understand this, many of our VA colleagues who want to go to the Veterans Administration, have stopped going. If we want to actually worry about some of this stuff that they are worrying about with their mental health, then we need to take impediments away from them getting help, to let them know that just because they have problems that they can't process, getting help from the VA is something that should not be predicated on a fiduciary or somebody helping them. If they have got real issues, then follow the law. Follow the law.…
