Among federal agencies bracing for the Trump era, few are likely to face the backlash that awaits the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which pursued an aggressive gun control agenda under President Biden. ATF, under Biden-appointed director Steven Dettelbach, has been more proactive on gun control than at any time in its recent history, reports the New York Times. It has issued rules to curb the proliferation of the untraceable homemade firearms known as ghost guns, clamped down on devices that make firearms deadlier and regulated unlicensed firearms sellers who operate at gun shows or online. That got praise from gun control groups and drew the enmity of Republicans, including President-elect Trump. He is likely to pick a proponent of gun rights as director or leave the job vacant, as previous presidents have done, leaving the small bureau rudderless and vulnerable.
Dettelbach believes the biggest threat may come from the Republican-controlled Congress, which is threatening to cut the ATF budget. Its core function is joining with local enforcement to trace weapons used in crimes and dismantle trafficking rings by providing intelligence and technical assistance. “People who don’t think that law enforcement, including ATF, has anything to do with driving down violent crime are just wrong — it didn’t happen by accident,” said Dettelbach. Before the election, congressional Republicans succeeded in cutting the bureau’s $1.6 billion annual budget by $47 million at a time when other federal agencies were seeing increases to keep pace with inflation. Trump has promised to fire Dettelbach and quickly reverse many of the Biden administration’s most important changes. Dettelbach plans to quit before Trump takes office.
Trump has singled out a rule that increased regulation of so-called stabilizing braces that make it easier to use a pistol as a long gun that is easier to aim. He criticizes Dettelbach’s effort to expand background checks on weapons sold at gun shows, to include private kitchen-table gun sales and online firearms marketplaces.
Comments