Blumenthal Slams Trump Administration's Reckless Decision to End Policy Preventing At-Risk Veterans from Buying Firearms

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today slammed the Trump Administration's dangerous decision to end a policy aimed at preventing veterans who are at-risk to themselves or others from buying firearms:

"Guns are used in the vast majority of veteran suicides. The Trump Administration's decision to abruptly end a policy that prevents troubled veterans or those requiring a fiduciary to manage their affairs from buying firearms is dangerous and reckless. This Administration should be focused on measures that will actually help end veteran suicide and make our communities safer. Eliminating this policy and weakening the NICS background check system altogether is a disastrous decision that will have potentially tragic impacts for years to come."

For the last 30 years, the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) list has included veterans who have serious mental health disorders, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This policy is intended to protect from the irreversible harm that can result when someone in crisis has access to a firearm. VA made these determinations through a comprehensive process with robust due process protections built in. Earlier today, VA Secretary Doug Collins and Attorney General Pam Bondi announced they will stop reporting these veterans to this background check system and remove all past VA reports.

According to VA's 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention annual report, unsecured firearms in the home increase the risk of suicide death. In 2023, firearms were involved in 73.3% of veteran deaths by suicide. From 2001 to 2023, veteran firearm suicide rates rose 67.0%. Among veterans enrolled in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) care who died from suicide in 2023, 60.9% also had a VHA mental health or substance use disorder diagnosis.