FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017
CONTACT: Isakson Press Office, 202-224-7777
Perdue Press Office, 202-224-3521
Isakson, Perdue Vote to Protect Second Amendment Rights of Disabled Americans
WASHINGTON, D.C. –
U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and David Perdue, R-Ga., today
voted to protect the Second Amendment rights of American citizens by
halting an Obama administration rule that requires the Social Security
Administration to report the information of some
beneficiaries to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System
(NICS), essentially adding them to a list of those who are prohibited
from purchasing a gun.
“It
is essential to ensure that the Social Security Administration
recognizes and protects the fundamental nature of Americans’ rights
under the Second Amendment,”
said Isakson.
“I have long criticized the Department of Veterans Affairs for having a
similar process that fails to respect veterans’ due-process rights, and
I urge my colleagues
to overturn this blanket restriction that effectively bans persons
receiving disability benefits from purchasing firearms for no good
reason.”
“Our Constitution enshrines the freedoms we all enjoy as Americans,”
said Perdue.
“The Obama administration’s attempt to prohibit law-abiding Americans
from exercising their Second Amendment rights is a blatant overreach.
I’m glad Congress has taken
the common-sense step to undo this onerous rule and protect rights
guaranteed by the Constitution.”
After the rule was announced, numerous advocacy groups voiced opposition:
American Civil Liberties Union:
“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 rule further
demonstrates the damaging phenomenon of ‘spread,’ or the perception that
a disabled individual with one area of impairment
automatically has additional, negative and unrelated attributes. Here,
the rule automatically conflates one disability-related characteristic,
that is, difficulty managing money, with the inability to safely possess
a firearm.” (American
Civil Liberties Union letter to Congress, 02/01/2017)
National Council on Disability:
“NCD
is a nonpartisan, independent federal agency with no stated position
with respect to gun-ownership or gun-control other than our long-held
position that restrictions on gun possession
or ownership based on psychiatric or intellectual disability must be
based on a verifiable concern as to whether the individual poses a
heightened risk of danger to themselves or others if they are in
possession of a weapon. Additionally, it is critically
important that any restriction on gun possession or ownership on this
basis is imposed only after the individual has been afforded due process
and given an opportunity to respond to allegations that they are not
able to safely possess or own a firearm due
to his or her disability. NCD believes that SSA’s final rule falls far
short of meeting these criteria.” (National Council on Disability
letter to Congressional Leaders, 01/24/2017)
National Rifle Association:
“Reporting law-abiding, non-dangerous individuals to NICS and
forcing them, as a condition of removal, to prove they are not a threat
to society is inconsistent with the GCA, the Second Amendment and basic
due process.” (National
Rifle Association letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell)
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AMANDA MADDOX
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Communications Director
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OFFICE OF UNITED STATES SENATOR JOHNNY ISAKSON
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131 Russell Senate Office Building | Washington, DC 20510
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phone: 202.224.3643
| fax: 202.228.0724
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Visit Johnny’s
website
to learn more about his work in the Senate and to sign up for his newsletter.
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veterans
