Iowa Senator Calls Out ATF’s Illegal Persecution of Firearm Dealers
Jose Nino
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Iowa Senator Joni Ernst is calling on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to offer a justification for the increase in revoked Federal Firearms Licenses (FFLs) and suggesting that it has violated the law.
This forms an integral part of Ernst’s current probe of the ATF. Ernest’s fellow Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is supporting her accountability push.
The two senators issued a statement highlighting that they are “following up on their previous oversight of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and exposing its attempt to abuse the law to revoke FFLs from lawful gun sellers.” In addition, they are pushing for “answers on how the ATF is taking away FFLs in a way that clearly oversteps the intent of the law at the expense of the legal gun seller.”
The release feature a quote from the two senators, which stated:
Our questions and concerns are particularly acute given your agency’s recent gross misinterpretation of who is required to get FFLs in order to sell guns. In no way did Congress mean to require anyone who even offers to sell a gun to need a [sic] FFL.
Ernst and Grassley continued by noting:
At a time when crime appears to be increasing, your agency’s action “risks alienating some of the government’s most valuable sources in combating gun violence.” This is a questionable decision, at best. As was the case last year, FFL holders remain a crucial partner in stopping dangerous criminals from accessing firearms, and they should be treated as such.
In correspondence with Breitbart News on September 12, 2023, Ernst stated, “The Biden administration is twisting the law and burdening lawful gun sellers to advance their gun-grabbing agenda. Make no mistake, Biden’s ATF has had it out for gun owners since day one.”
She continued, “For years, this administration has cracked down on law-abiding gun dealers, but instead of helping dealers comply with the law, Biden’s ATF has created additional hurdles to more easily revoke licenses for inconsequential, so-called ‘violations.’ This has come at the expense of many small businesses just trying to make a living. I’m working to end this abuse against FFL holders. Joe Biden’s ATF has avoided critical oversight for a year, but accountability is coming.”
The ATF must be held accountable for its flagrantly unconstitutional behavior. Such actions by a government agency are unbecoming of a purported constitutional republic.
If we desire a truly free society, the ATF must be abolished. The first step towards achieving this goal is to elect pro-gun elected officials who will defund the ATF. From there, additional
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