ATF Whistleblowers Reveal Proposed ‘Universal Background Check’ Policy
Two whistleblowers within the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have come forward, revealing that the bureau is considering a policy that will effectively ban private gun sales.
Empower Oversight, a watchdog group making these claims, has addressed letters to Attorney General Merrick Garland and ATF Director Steven Dettelbach, seeking clarification on this purported proposal. Empower Oversight claims that two sources within ATF say the bureau, under the direction of the White House, drafted a 1,300-page document proposing a new policy to ban private sales of firearms by requiring background checks for every transaction.
Empower Oversight President Tristan Leavitt expressed concern in a press release on Wednesday, stating, “The fact that inside ATF sources are blowing the whistle on this draft rule is an indication of what a difficult position it would put the ATF in. ATF agents did not sign up to go after law-abiding citizens for private sales protected under the Second Amendment of the Constitution.”
Gun control advocates on the left have advocated for so-called “universal background checks” for years. Last September, the ATF proposed a rule that would change the definition of “dealer” to include more occasional gun sellers.
A universal background check policy would require private individuals to carry out their transaction with a licensed Federal Firearms License (FFL) dealer who would run a background check on the buyer before finishing the sale. Presumably, individuals would be subject to the fee that comes with background checks each time they wish to purchase a firearm. This sort of requirement would also prohibit family members from passing firearms down from parent to child without a background check.
Implementing universal background checks would place an undue burden on private gun owners engaging in lawful transactions. It is also another step towards a federal gun registry, where the government tracks what firearms are under the possession of each gun owner. Ultimately, it is another infringement on the Second Amendment that makes the legal possession of firearms more difficult.
