Biden Will Withdraw His Nominee To Lead The ATF

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David Chipman speaks at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on assault weapons on Capitol Hill in September 2019. President Biden had nominated him to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.





Andrew Harnik/AP



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Andrew Harnik/AP



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«This is a boon for gun manufacturers that profit from the weak enforcement of existing gun laws and have spent millions maligning this dedicated public servant, said Igor Volsky, founder and executive director of Guns Down America.

Those who opposed Chipman’s nomination, however, welcomed the news.

«Glad to hear reports the White House is taking my advice and pulling the terrible nomination of David Chipman, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Twitter. «Absurd that a vocal opponent of Americans’ constitutional rights was ever picked to run ATF. This is a win for the Second Amendment and law-abiding American citizens.

The struggle to get a confirmed director on the books over the years has been due in large part to opposition from gun rights groups like the National Rifle Association.

That dynamic played out again this time. The NRA, Gun Owners of America, the National Association for Gun Rights and similar groups blasted Chipman’s nomination, calling him a threat to law-abiding gun owners.

Chipman is currently a senior policy adviser at Giffords, the gun violence prevention group started by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was almost killed in a mass shooting in 2011.



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Chipman, who says he himself owns guns, has voiced support for a ban on assault weapons and limits on high-capacity magazines.

Before he became a gun control advocate, he worked for more than two decades for the ATF, first as a special agent in the field and later in a supervisory role.

His advocacy work earned him strong support from the gun violence prevention community.

But it also energized gun rights groups, who lobbied hard to try to torpedo his confirmation.

Earlier this summer, Democrats expressed confidence that they’d be able to secure the votes necessary to push Chipman through. But as the summer progressed, Chipman’s nomination ended up stuck in limbo for weeks as a few key Democrats — Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana — as well as independent Angus King of Maine remained on the fence.