In 2009 the federal government said in the now infamous rightwing extremism document leaked to Infowars and others that "veterans possess combat skills and experience that are attractive to rightwing extremists" and that the government was concerned these extremists would "attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to boost their violent capabilities."

On Wednesday the Attorney General was grilled by the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee about a list denying veterans their Second Amendment right under the Constitution. The Justice Department considers the former soldiers on the list to be "mental defective."

"It's disturbing to think that the men and women who dedicated themselves to defending our freedom and values face undue threats to their fundamental Second Amendment rights from the very agency established to serve them," Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley said in a statement Wednesday. "A veteran or dependent shouldn't lose their constitutional rights because they need help with bookkeeping."