On the recordFebruary 15, 2017
before we vote on the resolution of disapproval, I want to reiterate several very important facts. This resolution of disapproval is bipartisan. The resolution is also supported by 23 groups, mostly disability rights groups. The disability groups believe that this agency--the Social Security Administration--and its regulation will unfairly stigmatize those with disabilities. Of course, they are right. The American Civil Liberties Union has said this: We oppose this rule because it advances and reinforces the harmful stereotype that people with mental disabilities, a vast and diverse group of citizens, are violent and should not own a gun. There is no data to support a connection between the need for a representative payee to manage one's Social Security disability benefits and a propensity toward gun violence. The ACLU goes on to say: Here, the rule automatically conflates one's disability- related characteristic, that is, difficulty managing money, with the inability to safely possess a firearm. The agency regulation is defective in many ways. Namely, the regulation does not require the agency to prove a person is dangerous or mentally ill. The regulation also provides no formal hearing or due process before a person is reported to the gun ban list. Supporters of the gun ban have said that repeal of this regulation will interfere with the enforcement of the gun prohibition laws. I want to say plainly and simply: This is hogwash.…





