Washington, D.C., April 7, 2021 - Today, Brady applauded the nomination of David Chipman to serve as director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Chipman is well qualified to helm ATF, with over two decades of service at the ATF. He will be ready to lead on day one. Brady urges the U.S. Senate to confirm him at once.Brady President Kris Brown shared:“David Chipman is a law enforcement expert who understands what law enforcement needs and wants in order to prevent gun violence, which is proper enforcement of laws that stop gun trafficking and robust oversight of the gun industry. He understands that preventing gun violence requires an ATF that can fully execute its mission. He will begin to do so on day one. Chipman’s background at the ATF and his expertise in preventing gun violence make him an unparalleled choice for this nomination. Brady urges the United States Senate to confirm him without delay.The ATF’s mission is critical to keeping Americans safe by reducing the flow of firearms into our communities. The ATF sits at the vital juncture of all gun violence prevention laws and is a partner to federally licensed firearm dealers and first line of defense in the effort to stop non-compliant dealers from allowing firearms to flow into our communities. That the role of ATF Director has been vacant since 2015 only underscores the extent to which the gun lobby has hobbled the good faith effort of the ATF to enforce our nation’s laws and oversee the gun industry. This appointment is a needed step back towards the proper functioning of the ATF and another demonstration of President Biden’s commitment to preventing gun violence.”What the ATF Director Can Do:The ATF Director plays a critical role in preventing gun trafficking, the unlawful movement of guns from the legal market to the criminal one, a major method of obtaining firearms for people who cannot legally purchase or possess them. Stemming the flow of trafficked weapons will slow the flooding of guns onto American streets, enabling communities to concentrate on community violence prevention and intervention programs. Of the many actions the Director can take, the Director can:
Direct ATF to interpret the phrase “statistical aggregate data” in the Tiahrt Amendments to include the aggregate number of crime gun traces on a per dealer basis, and to include information about the largest crime gun suppliers in the annual state trafficking reports.
Direct ATF to assess the terms of all MOUs with state and local law enforcement agencies regarding the use of eTrace data and ensure that no provisions place any restrictions on state and local use of trace data that are not necessary to comply with the language of Tiahrt.
Instruct ATF to require all states to report multiple sales of long guns so that it can identify traffickers and the dealers that facilitate gun trafficking.
Direct ATF to permit entities with eTrace logins to share trace data across state lines.
Direct ATF to prioritize crime gun suppliers, non-compliant FFLs, and other high-risk FFLs for more frequent compliance inspections, and to formally track and report its progress on an annual basis
Direct ATF to issue an annual report providing detailed information about legal violations by gun dealers, distributors, and manufacturers and how ATF has chosen to address such violations, broken down by geographic areas that correspond with ATF field divisions, to provide transparency about gun industry compliance and ATF compliance inspections.
Direct ATF to release an annual updated report containing all of the same categories of information contained in the 2000 report. This would equip policymakers with information necessary to prevent violence in their communities.
Learn more about David and his work by listening to his podcast appearances with Red, Blue, and Brady!
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
By continuing to browse, you consent to the use of cookies on this site.
By clicking OK below, you will be directed to a website operated by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, an independent 501(c)(4) entity.