Thank you for contacting me about gun confiscation orders for the military and the fiscal year (FY) 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). I appreciate hearing from you.
As you know, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the NDAA (H.R. 6395) on July 21, 2020, by a vote of 295 to 125. On July 23, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed its version (S. 4049) by a vote of 86 to 14. The House and Senate versions of the NDAA must now be reconciled by a conference committee.
The House-passed version of the FY 2021 NDAA includes a provision that would create a Military Court Gun Confiscation Order (GCO) program. This provision would authorize law enforcement to, without notice or due process, seize the firearms of servicemen and servicewomen who have been accused of abuse, but not convicted. The Senate-passed NDAA does not create a Military Court GCO program. This provision is not likely to be included in the final version of the NDAA, which must be approved by myself and my Republican colleagues in the Senate.
As your U.S. senator, a gun owner, and a hunter, I strongly support the Second Amendment, which protects “the right of the people to keep and bear arms.” While others may disagree, I firmly believe the plain language of the Second Amendment guarantees the individual right of law-abiding citizens to own firearms, and that right must be protected by due process.
Kindest regards,
JOHN THUNE
United States Senator
