Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

The House GOP Just Voted To Gut a Key Obama Gun Rule

The House GOP Just Voted To Gut a Key Obama Gun Rule

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has voted 235-180 to undo a regulation put in place by former President Barack Obama that had directed the Social Security Administration to update the FBI's national instant background check database with the names of disability recipients with severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia and severe anxiety.

Greg Giroux, a political reporter with Bloomberg, provided the party-line breakdown of the vote:


He also provided the names of Congressional Democrats who approved the measure, as well as the names of Republicans who voted against it:

Proponents of the regulation argued that it was a common sense way to help keep firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill. About 75,000 people found mentally incapable of managing their finances would have been affected. Representative Elizabeth Esty (D-Connecticut) criticized House Republicans, accusing them of weakening the background check system. "The House charged ahead with an extreme, hastily written, one-sided measure that would make the American people less safe," she said. Esty represents Newtown, Connecticut, where shooter Adam Lanza killed 20 children and 6 adults in December 2012.

But the NRA, which opposed the rule, claimed that while it supports keeping firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill, it believes determinations about who is mentally ill should be left to the courts. Chris Cox, the NRA's top lobbyist, called Obama's regulation a "last minute, back-door gun grab," adding that the law "would have stripped law-abiding Americans of their Second Amendment rights without due process."

Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) agreed with Cox's assessment. "The Social Security Administration not only overstepped its mission with this regulation, it discriminated against certain Americans with disabilities who receive Social Security benefits. The agency should be focused on serving all of its beneficiaries, not picking and choosing whose Second Amendment rights to deny," he said.

Democrats voiced concerns that repealing the law would lead to more gun violence. The American people and the families that are being hurt day after day by gun violence -- they deserve some due process too," said Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas).

The NRA-backed measure is expected to pass the Senate soon; President Donald Trump is expected to sign it.

Republicans have employed the Congressional Review Act to curb regulations put in place by Obama before he left office. The Senate also passed a resolution to undo the Obama administration's Stream Protection Rule––also largely along party lines, The regulation minimized coal mine pollutants in waterways and would have required coal companies to monitor water quality in nearby streams during mining operations. Republican critics said the law was a "burdensome" one that would kill jobs in the coal industry.

More from News

Screenshots of Will Thilly breakdancing
New York Post/YouTube

Guy Breakdances His Way Into Town Hall Meeting To Ask Why Taxes Went Up—And Becomes An Instant Legend

Cranford, New Jersey town council candidate Will Thilly went viral after dancing his way up to the podium at a recent town hall meeting to ask why property taxes in Cranford have gone "up so much."

Thilly's unique tax protest began when he danced his way up to the podium and continued to dance even after a Cranford Township official said, "Mr. Thilly, I started your time." People laughed when Thilly held up a finger to stop the official and continued to dance anyway.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Brian Kilmeade
Fox News

Fox News Host Apologizes After His Suggestion That Homeless People Be Euthanized Sparks Outrage

Fox and Friends host Brian Kilmeade was criticized for suggesting that homeless people with mental health issues get "involuntary lethal injection" after the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a train in North Carolina—and was swiftly condemned for an insincere apology several days after the fact as many are calling for Fox News to terminate his contract.

Zarutska was stabbed to death at the East/West Boulevard station on the Lynx Blue Line in Charlotte last month; her killer, a homeless man with a history of mental health issues, has since been charged with first-degree murder.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sofía Vergara
Bryan Steffy/Getty Images

Sofía Vergara Reveals She Missed Presenting At The Emmys Due To 'Craziest' Medical Emergency

Almost everyone has a favorite television show they like to turn on at the end of a rough day or binge-watch for a bit of nostalgia, and most of us pretty frequently check out new shows to see if we can spot a favorite.

Needless to say, the Emmys award show is a huge deal every year, honoring all of the people involved in the projects that are currently gracing the small screen, and basically anyone who's anyone will attend.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rep. Nancy Mace
CNN

Nancy Mace Just Tried To Claim She's Never 'Dehumanized' Her Colleagues—And The Internet Brought The Receipts

South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace was called out for hypocrisy after she claimed on CNN that Democrats in Congress have been "dehumanizing" Republicans, a move she would "never" do—despite her record of doing just that.

Speaking to anchor Katie Bolduan while the search for the suspect who killed far-right activist Charlie Kirk was ongoing, Mace objected to Bolduan's observation that she was using "us v. them" language, only saying that things are "very one-sided right now." She also suggested that the situation is so bad for her that she's actually afraid of "just walking out in public."

Keep ReadingShow less
A younger man stand on top of a mountain with his arms outreached and his face looking to the sky. It's a beautiful day and lakes and mountains are the backdrop.
Photo by Kyle Loftus on Unsplash

People Who Quit Their High-Paying Jobs For Happiness Explain How It Turned Out

Sometimes money isn't the goal.

It is a BIG goal for many.

Keep ReadingShow less