Sen. Dean Heller at the 2016 SHOT Show. (Photo: Heller/Facebook)
Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) has introduced legislation that would prevent the Social Security Administration from being able to deny beneficiaries’ gun rights. The bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) would undo one of the recent executive orders granting the Social Security Administration this new authority.
The President recently issued an executive order that grants the Social Security Administration the power to strip beneficiaries of their gun rights based on what benefits they receive. The new gun control initiative was launched earlier this year in part of a series of executive orders targeting gun owners.
Typically only a judge, court or legal board of authority has the ability to restrict an individual’s right to gun ownership. This bill would prevent the Social Security Administration representatives from making that determination and reporting those who receive special assistance to NICS—essentially creating a new class of prohibited person.
“I have long voiced my concerns with proposals from this Administration that could infringe on Nevadans’ right to bear arms” said Heller in the official announcement. “Never should the millions of responsible seniors and individuals in this country be arbitrarily discriminated against and denied their Second Amendment rights.
“I am proud to work with Senator Crapo on this important legislation, which protects the rights of law-abiding Social Security beneficiaries,” added Heller. “I will continue fighting to ensure Americans’ constitutional rights are protected.”
See Also: Obama Unveils Executive Orders to ‘Reduce Gun Violence’ Through Social Security
Other co-sponsors include senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska). Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Tex.) has also introduced support legislation to the House of Representatives, H.R. 3516.
The Social Security Administration has already indicated that it started working on a framework to determine who may be considered a prohibited person based on their mental health records and what benefits they receive.
If the framework goes into place approximately 75,000 beneficiaries may be affected by the new Social Security authority. The executive order also requires that the Social Security Administration implements a relief program for anyone deemed a mental defective to appeal the determination, but the process is not yet detailed.
It seems to me that using a SSN targets senior retired citizens and yet not one retiree has ever been a mass shooter. Either the logic is flawed and/or its an opening for a ‘rider’ to facilitate gun control. Don’t let yourself be focused on the wrong thing !!!
Wow…..more obummer bs !!!!!!!!
So first was the join the military at 18 go fight a war for your OWN country….Survive the horror of watching your friends die all around you and the anguish of knowing what it is to fire a round at another human being and watch their life force spill out of onto the ground…..SURVIVE that then deal with…
Survivors guilt
Anxiety and Anguish
Missing your buddies
Feeling like a piece of shit for coming home and deserting your battalion by not re-enlisting
Worrying about families thousands of miles away that you never knew…..ESPECIALLY on holidays because YOUR country sent you to take away their
Father
Brother
Son
Over what???????
Because we had to protect OIL……OUR
Fathers
Brothers
Sons
Died
And you may not believe it but
This whole process plays out on the other side as well…..because
No matter what God you believe in…
ALL SOLDIERS FEEL REGRET AND PAIN FOR TAKING LIVES……….
#PEACEANDLOVETOALLCOMBATSURVIVORS…
And the after all THIS we as soldiers…
Get relegated to substandard care
Commit suicide at the very V.A we went to get help AT!!!!!! #22ADAY
Getc STRIPPED of our gun rights by the very GOVERNMENT that had no qualms of stealing our innocence and last nights of good sleep…
WITHOUT even so much as a “by the way”
It’s ridiculous and preposterous……..
When you go to your reward I HOPE you have a good excuse because GOD is fair but tough…..
Thanks for listening to my rambling
NO ONE forced you to join the military. You can’t complain about taking lives when you signed up for it. what did you think it was, a childhood game? Without oil we would have no food, no clothing, no shelter, no schools, no hospitals and no VA fro you to get your benefits. There’s nothing less pitiful than someone like YOU who complains about being an adult and having to deal with real life and then expecting others to somehow grant you some special degree of respect because you tried to grow up and failed.
This bill needs to be block
sounds to me that someone in government has been in the social security cookie jar, taking money we paid in to it all of our working lives.
suppose they think this too will stop our due money, wonder if they thought of this when NAFTA was voted in?
Jobs gone no more money going in to it to put it all back in that had been taken out. Because all the jobs have left because of greediness etc.
AND FOR MOST PART, WHEN PRESIDENTS ARE VOTED IN ARE THEY NOT ASKED TO UPHOLD THE CONTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES!!! If they and rest of government cannot they need to find themselves a job!
Glad to hear this rotten executive action by the ignorant Obama that would allow the Social Security Administration to deny guns to people that have Social Security records showing the people had a mental problem in the past will be overturned by Republicans in Congress. This Obama action is the same type of action that would be done by the deranged liar Hillary.
Hillary’s statement as Secretary of State about the four Americans killed in Benghazi with no help from Hillary:
“JUST FORGET ABOUT THAT !!!!”
This also applies to Hillary: BENGHAZI – WE HAD THE TIME, SHIPS AND PLANES. WE DID NOT HAVE THE LEADERSHIP !!!!
This move of Obama’s is actually in direct violation of the Gun Control Act of 1968. which says only ADJUDICATED mental defectives may be denied the right to purchase a firearm. In other words, a judge in a court must give someone due process of law after their judgment has been actively called into question.
What stuns me is how AARP, after remaining quiet during Obama’s raid on the Medicare Fund to finance Obamacare, is taking seniors’ money once more and failing to represent their interests. Not one word from AARP about this, which makes them almost the only organization which collects millions from its members to sell them out to those who’d take away their Constitutional rights.
I often disagree with you but not on this one.
The deprivation of any right should not simply be an administrative act that a person has to undo.
We’ll add to the fact that people diagnosed with mental health issues are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators and that any diagnosis of a mental disorder per the DSM is a very subjective procedure with little or no science to it.
it’s totally irresponsible for our idiot of a president to give power to the SSA and IRS to do jobs that the’re not train nor meant to do.
Everyone gets social security benefits, soon as they hit 62-65, depending on their individual needs. Also as you get older, you have medical issues, just about everyone does. So this is just a way to take away everyone’s guns as they turn into their golden years, and need a gun because they can no longer fight using their hands anymore. Having owned a Large Health Club, I know this for a fact, even my own strength is half of what it was 10-15 yrs. ago. So the plan is to leave the physically weak with back problems and arthritis, and 100 other things, vulnerable to being defenseless should someone accost them or break into their home.
How can anything this transparent possibly be allowed to exist?
Obama’s plan goes way farther than just denying the elderly the right to purchase guns … it’s about TAKING their guns! One of the gun-grabbing strategies the America-haters don’t want you to know about is their plan to end firearms being passed down from generation to generation. By confiscating firearms from the elderly under these false pretenses, Obama and his America-hating gun-grabbers hope to eventually confiscate ALL guns owned by the elderly so they can’t be passed down to heirs. All part of long-range plan to confiscate ALL firearms in the US before declaring this country a muslim caliphate.
I haven’t read the list with Social Security Administration, but if someone is receiving disability benefits for being not able to work due to mental health, yes the person should not be able to get a gun. Otherwise it is overstepping.
That’s stupid remember the vets with PTSD did not ask for this disorder they got it protecting this unthankful government and nation, this executive decision should be thrown out with all the senators who backed it. Sam Johnson of Texas.
…are you aware of how many ACTIVE Police, Para Medics, Firemen, Nurses, Doctors, 911 Operators and other emergency services personnel that are suffering from some level/ degree of PTSD…???
Should we strip All Of Them of their citizenship and rights, OR just the VET’s that felt an obligation to SERVE the very people who spout off about things they obviously have VERY LITTLE KNOWLEDGE of.
Rights taken away by a spiteful individual who occupies the White House – Who is noted for his oratory eloquence, But has managed to botch his Oath of Office both times… the same individual that doesn’t like salute the FLAG, or put even put his hand over his heart during the National Anthem…
The same man that ignores Congress, and the will of the people when he doesn’t get his way, and CREATES ANOTHER EXECUTIVE ORDER – This is a PERFECT EXAMPLE OF ABUSE OF POWER, And obviously something else you have failed to consider…
YOU might take these things into consideration BEFORE you pass judgement on men and women who served their country, and have done NOTHING wrong.
IF ANYONE would bother to look, they would find that they’re is not very many Old Vet’s out committing violent crimes… But, we have no desire to be victims!
Just MAYBE, if enough “Intelligent Individuals” spent more time screaming about the open borders, and gang related crime in the cities, or maybe liberal judges not inforcing the current laws…
Just MAYBE we could actually reduce violent crime…
Look up how many Pardons obama just signed… criminals serving Life sentences – many that had committed crimes involving drugs, violence and gun related charges… then he creates an executive order to punish Veterans???
That’s dumb you need to remember a mental defect can be a large and broad distinction. A individual with a mental defect may be completely sane yet depressed over combat related issues ,or he of might fallen into the pool and broken his neck and had a brain injury ,causing PTSD .The Texas governor he’s disabled and the tree fell on him he had a spinal cord and a brain injury he gets to keep his gun rights. There’s a difference between having say schizophrenia and being completely unstable compared to PTSD & being depressed . what about the disabled that know they that aren’t able to function normally as most ppl do but are not a danger to themselves or anybody else. A person has to be proven to be unstable and a danger to others. I’m sorry but even people that are suicidal should be allowed to own guns , as long as they’re not a danger to others.lots of ppl who are disabled constantly think of suicide doesn’t mean they’re going to do it,with a gun,most would rather use the medication they’re given. it’s not that you have to worry about the disabled committing suicide with a gun & Injuring others we can’t get around ,& we definitely are not part of gun violence .how are they going to defend themselves , do you realize how many disabled people are abused , with the way or Bilicki to defend themselves ..I was robbed 3 times before I got a big dog & a few dozen guns & started target practicing again ..
Hey Mark , i agree with most all you are saying . just wondering though , when you say you are sorry but people who are suicidal should be allowed to own guns—if you truly believe that , what do you have to be sorry for ? MBP
Just another attempt by the gun hating democrats to strip gun rights from a new group of people. Chipping away at any group of people they can I will never vote for any democrat. They are all ant-American anti-gun
Good job. You must, however, keep an eye on Bitch McConnell and Ryan to derail this righteous bill.
Because as we all know, it’s those pesky elders who storm through movie theaters and schools like some wannabe Rambo commando and not some liberal socialist d*bag kid like James Holmes or Adam Lanza. Oh, wait….