Gun Lobby Forces White House to Withdraw ATF Nominee
President Joe Biden has pulled David Chipman’s nomination to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the face of opposition from gun rights groups, Republican senators and a few Democrats. The agency hasn’t had a confirmed director in six years.
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President Joe Biden has pulled David Chipman’s nomination to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in the face of opposition from gun rights groups, Republican senators and a few Democrats, reports NPR. Chipman, a former ATF agent who became a prominent gun control advocate after leaving the agency, was caught in a harsh confirmation battle since Biden nominated him in the spring.
“He would have been an exemplary Director of the ATF and would have redoubled its efforts to crack down on illegal firearms traffickers and help keep our communities safe from gun violence,” Biden said in a statement on Thursday. “Unfortunately, Republicans in Congress have made clear that they intend to use gun crime as a political talking point instead of taking serious steps to address it.” The agency hasn’t had a confirmed director in six years.
