Why the Senate Should Confirm Steve Dettelbach as ATF Director

It’s been seven years since the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) had a Senate-confirmed director. The federal law enforcement agency is responsible for enforcing our nation’s gun laws and keeping us safe. Without strong leadership, rogue gun dealers and gun manufacturers have evaded regulations and oversight as gun violence devastates our communities. 

If senators are serious about reducing gun crime, they should confirm President Biden’s nominee, Steve Dettelbach, as ATF Director. Anything less is an intentional failure to provide this law enforcement agency with the leadership necessary to enforce the laws on the books and keep Americans safe.

Confirm Dettelbach

Tell Your U.S. Senators To Confirm Steve Dettelbach As The Next ATF Director

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Why hasn’t the ATF had a Senate-confirmed director in so long?

The NRA lobbied Congress to make the ATF director a Senate-confirmed position in 2006. They have worked to block future nominations and keep the agency starved for funding since then. We can’t let their extremism sabotage an agency we need even more right now.

How can the ATF stop gun violence?

President Biden has taken executive action to focus ATF on disrupting gun trafficking and taking on rogue gun dealers. Because of his leadership we are beginning to see what an effective ATF can look like: ATF agents broke up a gun trafficking ring involving hundreds of weapons bought in Georgia.

The ATF can make communities safer by: 

• Identifying the sources of illegal guns and providing cities with clear analysis of illegal gun trafficking.
• Investigating and disrupting gun trafficking by getting to the source of illegal guns.
• Stepping up inspections of gun dealers to improve compliance with the law and cracking down on rogue gun dealers that are violating the law.
• Curbing unlicensed sellers who sell guns without a background check and the commercial marketplaces that facilitate those sales.

Q&A

What can the Department of Justice do to prevent gun violence?

The U.S. Department of Justice is essential in stopping gun violence. Improvements and regulation are needed to keep guns out of the wrong hands, hold the gun industry accountable, and support communities disproportionately impacted by gun violence—and that starts with President Joe Biden naming Judge Merrick Garland as Attorney General.… Continue

The new ghost guns rule to clarify that the core building blocks of ghost guns are considered firearms under the law was made official in April 2022. Now we need a strong leader who will enforce our nation’s gun laws and take an all-hands-on-deck approach to ending gun violence.

Why should Steve Dettelbach be ATF director?

Steve Dettelbach is the right person to provide the leadership the ATF needs. As ATF director, he would implement President Biden’s gun violence prevention priorities and truly fulfill the agency’s mission. 

Here’s why

• He has over two decades of experience as a prosecutor, including serving as the Senate-confirmed US Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio and in the Department of Justice.
• He worked with federal, state, and local law enforcement, and county prosecutors, on cases involving domestic terrorism, trafficking, hate crimes, extremism, and gun crimes.
• He was charged with prosecuting hate crimes all over the country as an Assistant U.S. Attorney.
• He helped lead the fight against those who target people of faith as Senate-confirmed United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Steve Dettelbach is the right person to lead the agency and should be confirmed immediately. But we need you to help make that happen.

Act Now

Our senators can help make sure the ATF works to keep our communities safe. There are two ways to take action right now to help confirm Steve Dettelbach as ATF Director.