Senate Approves Amendment Easing Gun Access for Veterans with Mental Issues

The U.S. Senate approved an amendment that would scale back background check requirements for veterans and service members with mental health issues just hours before a U.S. Army reservist, who allegedly had mental health symptoms, shot and killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine. The amendment, authored by Republican Senators John Kennedy and Jerry Moran, aims to prevent veterans from losing their gun rights and prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from reporting certain veterans to the National Criminal Background Check system when their finances are being managed by a conservator at the VA. The amendment passed by a vote of 53-45, but it still has a long way to go before becoming law.