Lawmakers Call on ATF to Roll Back Federal Firearm Regulations
A group of senators sent a letter to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on Thursday, calling for the repeal of gun control measures enacted under the previous administration. The move follows President Donald Trump’s executive order earlier this month directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to review “all orders, regulations, guidance, plans, and other actions by the Biden Administration regarding firearms.”
“Under former President Joe Biden, ATF adopted numerous policies and rules that infringed upon Americans’ Second Amendment protections,” the letter stated, according to the Daily Caller. “President Trump’s Executive Order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to review and develop a plan of action regarding President Biden’s unlawful firearms regulations. We ask that you work with the Attorney General to quickly identify and rescind these policies.”
Among the regulations the senators highlighted in their letter was the 2022 “ghost gun” rule,” which treated lower receivers as full firearms. That rule is currently being challenged before the Supreme Court. The letter also calls for the repeal of the “engaged in business” rule, which expanded the definition of a firearms dealer to include certain private sellers, effectively targeting what the administration referred to as the so-called “gun show loophole.”
Additionally, the senators pointed out the pistol brace rule, which required firearm owners to register their firearms with braces within 120 days. That rule was later struck down in court.
The letter also criticizes the ATF’s “zero tolerance” policy, under which the agency revoked federal firearm licenses (FFLs) for minor bookkeeping errors. The senators argue that this policy violates a “decades-long precedent of ATF working with FFLs to address these minor, unintentional violations and revoking FFL licenses only in cases of major, willful violations that threaten public safety.”
“The foregoing should not be considered a full accounting of every action or policy for which ATF may be held responsible under President Trump’s Executive Order but represent obvious and high priority places for ATF to initiate compliance,” the letter concluded. “We look forward to working with you through the transition as you implement President Trump’s agenda and reorient ATF toward protecting Americans’ Second Amendment rights”
