Following Shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Brady Urges the Senate to Confirm Steve Dettelbach

Washington, D.C., May 25, 2022 - Today, Brady urges the U.S. Senate to confirm Steve Dettelbach to lead the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, has underscored the urgent need to prevent gun violence. A Senate-confirmed ATF director is central to any such effort and essential to President Biden’s comprehensive strategy to prevent gun crime.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“Less than 24 hours after the second deadliest school shooting in modern American history, the need for comprehensive gun violence prevention solutions has never been clearer. The need for a qualified, Senate-confirmed director to lead ATF is essential to any effort to prevent gun violence. Steve Dettelbach is well-qualified. He is a proven law enforcement leader and expert, and a prudent choice to steward and modernize ATF so that it can enforce the nation’s laws and keep our communities safe.

We have too-clearly seen the consequences of the failure to act to prevent gun violence this week. The Senate bears a disproportionate amount of the blame for this inaction. They must act swiftly now to confirm Dettelbach.”

About the ATF:

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for enforcing federal firearms laws and regulating the gun industry, with the ultimate goal of ensuring the continued safety of the American people. ATF has been without a Senate-confirmed director since 2015. If confirmed, Steve Dettelbach would be only the second Senate-confirmed Director in the Bureau’s history.