Biden Admin Reverses Policy Targeting Gun Dealer Licenses During Final Days in Office
In its final days in office, the Biden administration reversed a gun control measure that required federal firearm sales licenses to be revoked for paperwork errors under a “zero tolerance” approach. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced the reversal following a lawsuit from a Texas gun store owner, arguing the policy violated Second Amendment rights.
The rule, implemented in 2021, allowed the ATF to revoke licenses from gun dealers for “willfully” violating a number of provisions, including falsifying firearm transaction records. While intended to ensure compliance, critics argued the policy unfairly targeted gun shops over minor clerical errors. Examples included mistakenly writing “USA” in the “county” field on forms.
The lawsuit, brought by the Texas Public Policy Foundation and America First Legal on behalf of gun store owner Michael Cargill, challenged the policy’s enforcement. Cargill celebrated the reversal, saying, “I’ve literally, single-handedly castrated the ATF,” in a comment to Fox News.
Matt Miller, an attorney with the Texas Public Policy Foundation, highlighted the policy’s impact, stating, “Many gun stores have been forced to close due to the illegal terms of the old enforcement order.”
“The new order effectively restores the old enforcement guidance, which means gun stores don’t have to live in fear of honest mistakes,” he said.
Cargill likened the policy to shutting down hospitals for minor errors, calling it “insane.” He emphasized the difficulties gun dealers face, explaining, “There are 100 different ways for customers to make mistakes on the paperwork when you walk into a gun store.”
“In this terminology, if we were to allow them to go in and inspect hospitals, and they say ‘They made a mistake in the hospital.’ Whether it’s the doctor, the radiology, they made a mistake. We’re going to shut the entire hospital down. That’s insane,” he explained.
