Veterans Could Be Getting Their Second Amendment Rights Back

In a major development for gun rights advocates and the veteran community, the U.S. House Committee on Veterans Affairs has passed the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act by a 13-11 vote. This legislation aims to restore gun rights to 264,893 veterans who were disarmed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and ensure that the VA can never do it again without due process.

The news broke through Gun Owners of America (GOA) on X (formerly Twitter), calling it a “huge victory for our nation’s veterans.” The bill was backed by GOA and pushed forward by Reps. Mike Bost and Eli Crane, two lawmakers determined to protect veterans’ constitutional rights.

The Root of the Issue: Fiduciary Appointments

At the heart of the issue is the VA’s practice of reporting veterans to the FBI’s NICS background check system if they are assigned a fiduciary. A fiduciary is someone who helps manage a veteran’s financial benefits. However, this process has been used to flag veterans as mentally unfit to own firearms, even if they’ve never posed a danger to themselves or others. According to Braden Langley of Langley Outdoors Academy, “This is like red flag laws on steroids – but without any court involvement at all.” Veterans have been losing their gun rights not because of violence, but because someone else helps them manage their money.

GOA’s Response: A Decades-Long Fight

Gun Owners of America has been fighting this battle for decades. In their post, they said the bill will “prevent the Department of Veterans Affairs from disarming veterans ever again.” GOA has long warned that bureaucratic overreach can lead to systemic rights violations. The organization sees this as a major step forward, not just for correcting past mistakes but for stopping future abuse. They see the VA’s actions as a direct violation of veterans’ civil liberties and an example of what happens when due process is skipped.

Langley Calls Out Hypocrisy

Braden Langley didn’t hold back in his YouTube video about this topic. He called out members of Congress who downplayed the issue, especially Democrats who argued that only a small percentage of veterans were affected. Langley slammed the logic, saying, “If it’s one, it’s too many.” He added, “These are the same people who scream about due process in immigration cases, but when it comes to veterans who fought for our freedoms? Suddenly due process doesn’t matter.”

Fighting Bureaucratic Power

One of the key points made by Rep. Mike Bost, who sponsored the bill, is that bureaucrats should not have the power to strip constitutional rights. During the committee hearing, he stated, “Veterans with fiduciaries are then prohibited from owning or buying a firearm, for whatever reason. No due process exists. None.” That quote struck a nerve with many gun rights supporters. The new bill would stop the VA from sending names to the NICS system unless a judge or court finds the veteran to be a danger to themselves or others. It’s a simple change, but one with powerful implications.

A Simple Fix With Huge Impact

The bill, officially titled H.R. 1041 with a key amendment attached, is straightforward. It ensures that no veteran is reported to the FBI’s database without a court ruling. Langley called the change “common sense,” adding that it’s shocking this wasn’t already the law. “We’re talking about people who put their lives on the line for this country,” he said. “And they come home to find their rights stripped over paperwork? That’s not the America they fought for.”

Democrats Downplay the Problem

During the hearing, Rep. Mark Takano and others tried to argue that the issue wasn’t significant because it affected “only 0.6%” of the names in the FBI’s database. Langley fired back hard at this point in his video, saying, “You mean 260,000 people don’t matter because it’s not a big enough percentage? That’s disgusting.” He pointed out the contradiction: Democrats often cite even smaller statistics when pushing bans on AR-15s or red flag laws. “The hypocrisy is loud,” Langley said.

An Attempt to Block the Bill Fails

Democratic lawmakers also introduced amendments to block or weaken the bill. One proposed amendment by Rep. Kelly Morrison of Minnesota sought to reintroduce restrictions based on mental illness, but it failed. Langley celebrated the defeat of the amendment and said it proved that the support for the original bill was real and bipartisan at its core. “They tried everything to block this,” he said. “And they failed.”

Bureaucracy Should Never Override Liberty

Here’s where I’ll add my own voice: The idea that someone can lose their gun rights because they need help managing a bank account is downright scary. It suggests that liberty isn’t something you inherently have – it’s something the government loans to you, and can revoke for almost any reason. Veterans have already sacrificed so much. Stripping them of their rights without court involvement isn’t just unfair – it’s cowardly. The fact that nearly 265,000 veterans have been disarmed this way should be a national scandal.

The Law Could Set National Precedent

If passed by the full House and later signed into law, this bill could create a nationwide precedent for protecting due process in all future firearms-related decisions. Langley emphasized that this isn’t about being pro-gun or anti-gun – it’s about being pro-Constitution. Veterans shouldn’t have to prove they deserve rights they already earned. “Every other American gets their day in court before losing a right,” Rep. Bost said. “Veterans deserve that same treatment.”

A Clear Win for Veterans, but the Fight Isn’t Over

While the committee vote is a major win, it’s not the end of the road. The bill must still pass the full House, then the Senate, and finally be signed by the President. But supporters are optimistic. Both GOA and Langley agree that the public needs to stay engaged and vocal. “We’re not just fixing something broken,” Langley said. “We’re making sure it can’t happen again.”

The Right Step Forward

At the end of the day, this is what real representation should look like – standing up for those who served. This bill doesn’t give veterans special privileges. It simply ensures that their rights are not removed in secret, by unelected bureaucrats. Gun control should never come from a spreadsheet or a database. If someone is truly a danger, let a judge decide. Anything less is just government overreach wearing a disguise.