Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas last weekend described Chipman as a “radical gun grabber” while addressing the Hillsborough County Republican party’s third annual machine gun rally in New Hampshire – then fired several machine guns himself. “If confirmed, David Chipman would be the most qualified director the ATF has ever seen, an agency that’s purpose is to enforce existing gun laws.”īut Republicans sense a potential political trophy in their efforts to thwart Biden’s agenda and turn the second amendment into a rallying cry ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, said via email: “The Biden-Harris Administration is the strongest gun safety White House in a generation, and they continue to show it through executive actions, strong gun safety nominations and appointments, and a laser-focus on tackling the root causes of the gun violence epidemic. Activists across the country are backing Chipman’s cause. The struggle is a test case for the Biden administration’s efforts to curb gun violence even as violent crimes, particularly murders and shootings, rise in many cities around the country. This week Dick Durbin, the Senate majority whip, told the Politico website that “there are a lot of issues” with the nomination, adding that the whip count “is not where we want it yet, but there’s always a chance”.
In a chamber evenly divided between 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans, there is no margin for error. Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, has still not announced a floor vote. The president said: “Vice-President Harris and I believe he’s the right person, at this moment, for this important agency.”īut last month the Senate judiciary committee was evenly split on his nomination, which obliges the Senate to hold a vote to discharge him before the process can move forward. “We are very hopeful that the Senate will soon act.”Ĭhipman spent 25 years at the ATF and is currently a senior policy adviser at Giffords, an organisation that advocates for stricter gun laws and is led by the former Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who survived a mass shooting 10 years ago.Ĭhipman was nominated by Biden in April to become ATF director. “As you all know, ATF is on the frontlines of our efforts to battle gun violence,” Garland said during a visit to the agency’s headquarters on Thursday.
The intervention was the latest warning sign that the nomination of Chipman might be in trouble – which would be a serious blow to gun control advocates and those appalled at America’s shocking rates of gun violence.
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