Before Maine mass shooting, Senate approves amendment that could scale back veteran background checks
Hours before the Maine mass shooting, the Senate approved an amendment that could limit background checks for veterans and service members with mental health issues. Hours before a suspect, a U.S. Army reservist with mental Health concerns, fatally shot 18 people in Lewiston, Maine Wednesday, the Senate approved an amendment that could scale back background check requirements for some veteran s and service members with mental Health issues. The amendment was authored by Republican Sens. John Kennedy and Jerry Moran, who had concerns that veterans could lose gun rights. It 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. According to Kennedy, under current law, if the Department of Veterans Affairs steps in to help manage a veteran's financial benefits in a conservatorship, the VA is required to report that veteran to the criminal backg...