Rep. Eric Burlison Pushes To Abolish the ATF

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, and with Republicans in control of Congress, Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) is advancing his plan to abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). In a series of statements and social media posts, Burlison has called the ATF “a disaster agency,” accusing it of infringing on Americans’ constitutional rights, particularly the Second Amendment.

Burlison’s proposal comes on the heels of heightened controversy surrounding the ATF’s actions during the Biden administration, which have sparked intense backlash from gun rights groups and conservative lawmakers alike. The ATF, under President Biden, has issued a range of new regulations that many gun owners and Second Amendment advocates argue overstep the bounds of federal authority and infringe on individual freedoms.

Among the most contentious regulations are the ATF’s decisions to criminalize the ownership of AR-pistol stabilizer braces and to classify 80% complete firearm frames as firearms, thus subjecting them to background checks and federal oversight. Burlison, who has long been a proponent of gun rights, sees these moves as direct violations of the Second Amendment.

Burlison’s plan is rooted in the belief that state governments, rather than federal agencies, should have primary authority over gun laws and enforcement. By abolishing the ATF, Burlison hopes to create a system where state governments have more control over how they regulate firearms, without interference from a centralized federal agency.

Proponents of this approach argue that states are better positioned to tailor gun laws to the unique needs of their citizens, rather than relying on federal mandates that may not reflect local values or concerns. By shifting enforcement to the states, Burlison believes that gun owners would face fewer obstacles to exercising their Second Amendment rights.

The ATF has expanded its regulations on “ghost guns” and other firearm-related components, including the rule that subjects AR-pistol stabilizer braces to the same regulations as short-barreled rifles. This rule, which many gun rights advocates view as a backdoor attempt to enact gun control, has sparked numerous lawsuits.

Following the election of President Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress, many conservatives are eager to make the most of their stronghold, hoping to roll back federal regulations that they argue infringe on the constitutional rights of Americans.

The ATF has also been criticized for hiring and promoting people with limited knowledge of the very items they’re regulating.

Breitbart News reports:

Breitbart News reported that the ATF’s Bort tried to disassemble a Glock handgun during a March 3, 2024, appearance on Face the Nation. His goal was to show how easy it is for criminals to take various gun parts and assemble them into firearms which Democrats refer to as “ghost guns.”

Ironically, Bort was not able to fieldstrip the Glock so he moved on to a second pistol which he was able to take apart. However, having taken it apart, he was not able to match the slide with a different frame therefore, he never showed how easy it is for criminals to build “ghost guns.”

ATF director Steven Dettelbach began talking to the Face the Nation reporter after Bort’s failed sequences and, as he did, Bort picked up the handgun he had initially failed to disassemble and tried again to take it apart. He failed again.