By Steve Neavling
A Republican congressman announced plans this week to introduce legislation to abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), a federal agency he claims infringes on Americans’ Second Amendment rights.
“In January, I will be filing the bill that Matt Gaetz sponsored to abolish the ATF. Why? Because we’re fighting for you,” Rep. Eric Burlison, Mo., said in a video posted on X.
Burlison previously co-sponsored Rep. Matt Gaetz’s “Abolish the ATF Act” last year, which sought to dissolve the agency over what its sponsors described as “big government overreach” through firearms regulations.
The 52-year-old ATF, which operates under the Department of Justice, regulates firearms and explosives and enforces federal gun laws. Burlison, 48, argues the agency oversteps its authority.
“The ATF has been a disaster for the American people and our God-given Second Amendment rights,” Burlison wrote on X. “It should absolutely be abolished.”
The agency drew sharp criticism from gun-rights advocates last year after invoking the National Firearms Act of 1934 to implement a rule banning pistol braces. A federal court in Texas ultimately overturned the ban.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Burlison, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, suggested that states should handle gun law enforcement rather than the ATF. He described the agency as a “disaster” and accused it of commandeering local law enforcement to enforce federal regulations not approved by state legislatures.
“There’s very few ATF officials,” Burlison said, claiming the agency relies on state and local police to enforce federal laws.
An ATF spokesperson defended the agency in response to Burlison’s criticisms, telling Fox News Digital that it “provides enormous benefits to the American public through all of its efforts fighting violent crime every day.”
