Congress Reportedly Votes To Strike Down Gun Ownership Background Check Rule

The Obama-era provision was a response to the 2012 Sandy Hook school shootings.

February 02, 2017
Congress Reportedly Votes To Strike Down Gun Ownership Background Check Rule The Capitol Building, Washington D.C. / Zach Gibson/Getty Images

The House of Representatives reportedly voted on Thursday to strike down a federal rule that blocked people with mental illnesses from owning guns. The rule, which was approved in December, was viewed by gun rights groups and some mental health advocates as "overly broad, establish[ing] a flawed standard and violat[ing] peoples’ due-process rights," according to Bloomberg.

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Voted down 235-180 by Congress, the restriction was a part of President Obama's broad preventative response to school shootings like the 2012 Sandy Hook attack. It was opposed by several gun rights groups, like the NRA, on the grounds that it violates the constitutional rights of those affected.

“This rule allows for bureaucrats to strip disabled people of their Second Amendment rights without due process,” Republican Representative and bill supporter Ralph Abraham said in a statement. “The Constitution applied to all Americans, including disabled Americans, and I’m glad to see that Congress is acting swiftly to defend it.”

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Congress Reportedly Votes To Strike Down Gun Ownership Background Check Rule