House Republicans Move to Defund Director of Federal Agency

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) announced their intent to take action and attempt to defund the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The House Republicans sent a letter to House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) explaining they intend to use the Holman Rule to defund the director.

The Holman rule is a rule in the United States House of Representatives that allows amendments to appropriations legislation that would reduce the salary of or fire specific federal employees, or cut a specific program.

In the letter, Gaetz and Greene claimed the ATF has been “weaponized against the American people by a radical, anti-Second Amendment Biden Administration.”

"The ATF has even made it a matter of official policy to shut down gun stores by making perfection the standard in record keeping – a standard the ATF itself could not meet.”

Read the full article: https://t.co/EINaPErnPi

— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) June 27, 2023

“@RepMattGaetz and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Monday said they will send a measure to the House Appropriations panel that defunds the salary of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Director Steve Dettelbach.”

Read the full article: https://t.co/lxuoVBuNZ0

— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) June 27, 2023

The Daily Caller first obtained a copy of the letter:

“The ATF has even made it a matter of official policy to shut down gun stores by making perfection the standard in record keeping – a standard the ATF itself could not meet,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter. “Since the Biden Administration has announced its new ‘zero tolerance’ policy in 2021, Federal Firearms Licensees have faced the highest revocation rate in 16 years. This policy has effectively become the death penalty for even the most innocent of clerical errors.”

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“The ATF has shown itself incapable of operating within the confines of its statutory authority, and we must force a change,” they added. “Hence, I write to inform you that I intend to use the Holman Rule to defund the Office of the Director of the ATF in the next available appropriations period.”

Both Gaetz and Greene have called to abolish the ATF in the past. Greene introduced legislation in June 2021 that would abolish the ATF if signed into law. The Daily Caller first obtained the legislation, entitled the Brian A. Terry Memorial Eliminate the ATF Act. The bill was named after Marine and Border Patrol agent Brian Terry, who was killed in a gunfight after a group of armed men attempted to rob smugglers transporting drugs from Mexico to the U.S.

In January, Gaetz introduced legislation to abolish the ATF after they enacted a rule making pistol stabilizing braces illegal for anyone without a certain license.

The Daily Caller shared a copy of the letter:

Matt Gaetz held a congressional field hearing Monday in Okaloosa County, Florida to discuss “ATF overreach” with local gun dealers.

Congressman Gaetz speaks out on "ATF overreach" with local gun dealers https://t.co/kws6ZCL1JL

— WMBB News 13 (@WMBBTV) June 27, 2023

WATCH:

UNBELIEVABLE: A Florida Navy pilot’s Second Amendment rights were VIOLATED after incompetent bureaucrats mixed up his identity with a criminal in New York!

Listen to local firearm retailer Chris Smith tell the whole story 👇 pic.twitter.com/Um0Bd8USwp

— Former Congressman Matt Gaetz (@FmrRepMattGaetz) June 27, 2023

HEARTBREAKING: Florida gun retailer Miles Schuler describes how the ATF’s “zero-tolerance” policies are criminalizing small business owners like him 👇 pic.twitter.com/hZrwfmyLed

— Former Congressman Matt Gaetz (@FmrRepMattGaetz) June 27, 2023

Brandon Herrera, @TheAKGuy, SLAMS the ATF for exceeding its authority over gun owners:

“The ATF is not a legislative body. It is not Congress and it cannot make new laws.

We shouldn’t have to worry about new gun laws that turn law-abiding citizens into felons, especially… pic.twitter.com/ls75En8Dh0

— Former Congressman Matt Gaetz (@FmrRepMattGaetz) June 27, 2023

WMBB reports:

Florida representative Matt Gaetz held a field hearing in Shalimar on Monday to try and gain support for his proposed bill to “Abolish the ATF.”

H.R. 374 reads as follows “To abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Mr. Gaetz introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. A BILL– To abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled.“

At the hearing, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ga., along with a panel of Northwest Florida shop owners and gun law experts sat for the hearing, sharing stories regarding the ATF.

“What do you tell your customers about what you’re going through?” Gaetz asked the store owners in the audience.

Gaetz claims the ATF is being weaponized against gun dealers by the Biden administration by revoking Federal Firearms Licenses (FFL) used by approved stores in order to sell weapons in the country.

“In the last few years, FFL revocations have been the highest they have been in 16 years,” said Gaetz.

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Gaetz said under President Biden’s zero-tolerance policy, gun dealers can lose their federal firearms licenses for just a paperwork error, or any violation no matter how minor or unintentional.

“The agents themselves do not know most of the rules and regulations constantly screwing up audits. Yet the ATF tries to revoke our licenses and livelihoods for tiny little mistakes made by a customer or a part-time employee,” said Chris Smith, owner of Gulf Coast Gun & Outdoors.

Some Panhandle store owners they’ve been targeted by ATF officers with lengthy audits and investigations that cost them tens of thousands of dollars.