Gaetz Moves to Abolish the ATF

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has introduced his Abolish the ATF Act. The bill is pretty simple. It looks to immediately terminate the ATF, which stands for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. A number of Republicans have historically been wary of the ATF, who, in Rep. Gaetz’s words, have the capacity to “call into question the legality of firearms owned by millions of law-abiding Americans.”

About two and a half years ago, Gaetz wrote letters (that were unanswered) to the Attorney General at the time William Barr and the Acting ATF Director Regina Lombardo urging them to stop taking any actions that infringe upon law-abiding citizens. However, Gaetz is stating that the ATF is now attempting to enforce “big government overreach” by forcing gun owners to face possible felony charges should they not properly register their firearms with stabilizing braces.

“House Republicans have the ATF in our crosshairs. The continued existence of the ATF is increasingly unwarranted based on their repeated actions to convert law-abiding citizens into felons. They must be stopped. My bill today would abolish the ATF once and for all,” stated Gaetz.

Gaetz says that if this bill fails, he’s going to try to defund the ATF instead. And if that doesn’t work, he stated that “we’re (Republicans) going to take a meat clever to the statutes that the ATF believes broadly authorizes their actions," according to a Fox News article.

Gaetz recently made headlines when he called for the January 6^th footage to be revealed despite some arguing that it could jeopardize national security. His rebuttal is that the DOJ doesn’t want it released because “They don’t want to expose the extent to which there might have been federal assets or agents enhancing criminal acuity.”

“We already know from whistleblower interviews we've done that there were federal assets and agents on the ground that day to be able to observe their conduct; their potential coordination with one another; would be of great interest to many of us on the Judiciary Committee and I think many people throughout the country,” stated Gaetz.

With Republicans taking back the House, the release of the footage is more likely.