EXCLUSIVE — Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and a group of Republican senators are warning the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives against putting into place any new policies ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The senators sent a letter to Director Steven Dettelbach telling him to “firmly commit to and focus on preparing for the transition to the incoming administration.”
“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,” the senators wrote. “ATF’s ability to achieve its statutory mission of combatting violent crime depends on a smooth and effective transition.”
The senators emphasized the ATF must refrain from publishing or undertaking any new policy initiatives or reorganizations ahead of the transfer of power.
“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,” they say.
“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.”
The letter comes one day after Dettelbach submitted his resignation to President Joe Biden with an effective date of Jan. 18, 2025. This comes after Trump had already vowed to remove him and reverse many of the Biden administration’s changes.
“At noon on Inauguration Day, we will sack the anti-gun fanatic Steve Dettelbach,” Trump told an NRA convention in May. “Have you ever heard of him? He’s a disaster.”
The ATF under Dettelbach has pushed gun control measures more than any time in recent history. Over the last four years, it has clamped down on devices that make guns deadlier, regulated unlicensed firearms sellers who operate at gun shows or online, and curbed the increase in homemade firearms known as ghost guns.
The senators say in their letter that their recommendation does not mean the ATF should stop providing “ordinary regulatory support to the industry, such as issuing federal firearm or explosives licenses, import permits or National Firearms Act forms.”
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In addition to Cornyn, Sens. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Jim Risch (R-ID), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) signed the letter.
Trump has not named an ATF director and transition officials have told gun rights groups they do not expect him to tap someone until next spring.