President Joe Biden seems to have further lost his grip the past week or so, doing everything from commuting the sentences of child murderers to awarding the nation’s highest civilian medal to freedom-hater George Soros. As a result, many believe it’s likely that the president’s weaponized Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) might take the chance to impose more “final rules” on America’s lawful gun owners.
That’s what prompted several Republicans in the U.S. Senate to send a letter to soon-to-be-outgoing ATF Director Steve Dettelbach demanding that he suspend and refrain from issuing any further rulemaking and support the incoming Trump Administration.
“We write to strongly encourage the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to firmly commit to and focus on preparing for the transition to the incoming Administration of President-elect Donald J. Trump,” the senators wrote. “The incoming Administration, including our next Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General and ATF Director, must have the opportunity and ability to set ATF’s priorities and future direction. ATF’s ability to achieve its statutory mission of combatting violent crime depends on a smooth and effective transition.”
According to the senators, any future collaboration with the Trump Administration must involve halting any additional planned rulemaking by Biden’s ATF, which has repeatedly overstepped its enforcement role by creating laws over the past four years.
“Toward that end, we recommend and urge that ATF suspend and refrain from issuing any further rulemaking, ATF Rulings, open letters to the industry or other publications or reports (including academic research reports) except reports generated in direct support of specific criminal investigations, from making formal recommendations to Congress, launching any new regulatory initiatives or changing any policies, or reorganizing the organizational structure of ATF,” the letter continued. “Any new policy initiatives undertaken at this late stage will only create instability and detract from the transition and ATF’s focus on its primary mission.”
In the letter, the senators also pointed out that the directive didn’t include normal ATF functions that the agency is responsible for handling as part of its regular duties.
“This recommendation should not be interpreted to suggest ATF not continue to provide ordinary regulatory support to the industry, such as issuing federal firearm or explosives licenses, import permits or National Firearms Act forms,” the letter stated. “During this transition period it remains imperative ATF remains focused on its primary mission of combatting violent crime, which we know it will.”
As we reported last week, Dettelbach recently announced he would resign from his position effective January 18—just two days before President Trump is set to be inaugurated. Prior to that announcement, President Trump had already committed to replacing Dettelbach on his first day in office, and gun rights organizations are urging the new president to appoint a pro-gun director for the agency.
Republican senators signing the legislation included John Cornyn and Ted Cruz of Texas, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, James E. Risch of Idaho, Katie Boyd Brit of Alabama and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota.
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