Buckeye Reporter

In a surprising turn of events, President Joe Biden has signed a bill that restores Second Amendment rights for America's veterans, much to the shock of gun owners and amidst his own frustration. The legislation, included in a package approved by Congress earlier this month, corrects a longstanding practice that had been depriving American veterans of their gun rights since 1998.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) played a key role in advocating for this change, ensuring that military members with service-connected disabilities can now receive benefits without risking their right to bear arms. Despite President Biden's initial displeasure with the pro-gun provision, he ultimately signed the bill into law over the weekend.

The bill addresses issues related to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reporting beneficiaries with fiduciaries to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) as "mental defectives." This practice has resulted in hundreds of thousands of veterans being stripped of their Second Amendment rights without due process or consideration of their ability to safely possess firearms.

The corrective language in the legislation, spearheaded by Sen. John Kennedy and Rep. Mike Bost, ensures that beneficiaries are granted due process before any determination of incompetency affects their gun rights. This move has been met with opposition from firearms prohibitionists who have raised concerns about access to firearms by "mentally incompetent" individuals.

The bill also includes provisions reauthorizing the "Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988" for seven years, maintaining the original language and preventing potential expansions that could infringe on the rights of law-abiding gun owners. This decision has been hailed as a strategic effort to safeguard the freedom of gun owners while addressing concerns over firearm detection.

The successful inclusion of pro-gun measures in the appropriations package highlights the ongoing efforts of pro-gun advocates and the NRA in protecting Second Amendment rights from government overreach. This victory underscores the importance of legislative actions in defending fundamental rights and ensuring the preservation of gun ownership freedoms for all Americans.