Gabby Giffords' gun control organization Giffords suggested Tuesday that an investigation into the Palisades fire and its aftermath should force House Republicans to back away from pushing to cut funding or abolish the ATF.
Giffords did this in response to a photo posted by ABC7's Chris Christie.
In response to Christie's photo, Giffords noticed “House Republicans are committed to defunding and dismantling the ATF as it investigates the Palisades fire that has killed at least eight people.”
“Republicans need to stop putting politics over public safety,” the gun control group added.
Giffords did not discuss how the ATF has been weaponized under the Biden administration under the leadership of Stephen Dettelbach. They did not mention the numerous gun regulations that the ATF has enacted through regulatory orders going through Congress.
Some of these gun regulations included deeming an 80% complete lower receiver a firearm, which required a background check when purchasing that receiver or other gun parts kits. Other ATF gun regulations included rules to expand background checks that Congress rejected and to reclassify AR pistols with stabilizer braces as short-barreled rifles (SBRs). The SBR designation makes the pistol subject to the National Firearms Act and subject to the same registration and tax requirements as machine guns.
Many of the ATF's rules have been blocked or invalidated by various courts, but in some cases the Biden ATF allegedly stuck with them anyway.
Rick Caruso's Palisades Village Mall intact as LA burns under Karen Bass
In another case, the pistol brace rule was blocked or revoked at least three times between March 29, 2024 and early November, but Gun Owners of America (GOA) noticed A December 2024 letter from ATF headquarters declares that the agency “federal law requires pistols with stabilizer braces or stocks to be registered as short-barreled rifles.”
On January 14, 2025, GOA stated: These corrupt institutions have no respect for the rights of law-abiding Americans, and we will not rest until they are completely abolished. ”
Representative Lauren Boebert (R) and Congressman Eric Burleson (R) take the lead and charge ATF will be abolished.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and also writes Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment for Breitbart News. He is also a writer and curator. He is a political analyst for Armed American Radio, a member of Gun Owners of America, a professional staff member for Pulsar Night Vision, and global marketing director for Lone Star Hunts. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal in 2010 and holds a Ph.D. in military history. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. To get Down Range, you can sign up at breitbart.com/downrange. Contact him directly: awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
