Trump Signs Law To Allow Severely Mentally Ill Buy Guns
Lost in all the focus yesterday on Donald Trump’s speech to Congress is an important news story that has major implications for gun violence. On Tuesday, Donald Trump quietly signed into law a bill that rolls back an Obama-era gun regulation that made it harder for people with mental illnesses to purchase a gun.
The rule, which was finalized in December, put people who are unable to manage their own affairs due to mental illness according to the Social Security administration into the FBI database for background checks.
The Obama rule would have added 75,000 people to the database.
President Obama issued the order in response to the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in an effort to block people with severe mental illness from buying guns.
The NRA fought the Obama rule heavily and applauded Trump’s move. Chris Cox, NRA executive director, said it “marks a new era for law-abiding gun owners, as we now have a president who respects and supports our arms.”
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy slammed the Republicans over the bill.
“Republicans always say we don’t need new gun laws, we just need to enforce the laws already on the books. But the bill signed into law today undermines enforcement of existing laws that Congress passed to make sure the background check system had complete information,” Murphy said in a statement.
