Through the U.S. Department of Justice, the Biden Administration has weaponized the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), turning it into an agency constantly battling against America’s lawful gun owners and closely regulated gun retailers. In fact, during the past four years, Biden’s ATF has published several final rules, making laws when its real purpose is enforcing them.
That hasn’t set well with many Republicans in Congress. And now that the Republicans have retained the House majority, retaken the Senate and won the presidency with former President Donald Trump’s recent victory, one pro-gun lawmaker is ready to do something about the ongoing “problem” with the ATF.
Last week, Republican U.S. Rep. Eric Burleson of Missouri announced that he would soon be introducing legislation to abolish the ATF—a move that many American gun owners have been seeking for years. The new legislation will mirror the “Abolish the ATF Act” filed last year, which sought to eliminate the federal agency over concerns that its rulemaking related to firearms amounts to “big government overreach.”
“In January, I will be filing the bill that Matt Gaetz sponsored to abolish the ATF,” Burleson said in a video posted on X. “Why? Because we’re fighting for you.
“The ATF has been a disaster for the American people and our God-given Second Amendment rights. It should absolutely be abolished.”
In the bill introduced last year, which the new measure is expected to be nearly identical, simply stated: “The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is hereby abolished.” It was assigned to the House Committee on the Judiciary but received no further action.
In response to the announced legislation, ATF sent out a statement that did not address any of the actions that Burleson and others have mentioned as the measure’s impetus.
“ATF provides enormous benefits to the American public through all of its efforts fighting violent crime every day,” ATF spokesperson Kristina Mastropasqua said in a statement emailed to Fox News.
Co-sponsors of the measure include Republican Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Mike Collins of Georgia, Bob Good of Virginia, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Mary Miller of Illinois, Cory Mills of Florida and Barry Moore of Alabama.
Over the past several months, U.S. House Republicans have taken a number of actions designed to overturn overreach by the DOJ and ATF during President Biden’s tenure. In October, a House committee subpoenaed the ATF and White House over collusion with anti-gun organizations, and in September, the House Judiciary Committee passed a joint resolution that would overturn the ATF’s ruling redefining who is “engaged in the business” of selling firearms.
