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During a field hearing in Shalimar, Florida, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., announced that they will defund the Office of the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) using the Holman Rule.
“The continued existence of the ATF is increasingly unwarranted based on the actions they’re taking to convert otherwise law-abiding people into felons.”
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to Fox News
According to The Epoch Times, Gaetz and Greene had penned a letter explaining why they want to defund the ATF. It said, “The leadership at the ATF has proven unable or unwilling to see that the ATF respect the rule of law and not act where Congress has not legislated.”
The letter goes on to strongly emphasize the ATF’s abuse of authority. It said, “Instead, the ATF abuses its rulemaking authority, legislating through the executive and making a mockery of the separation of powers mandated by the Constitution.”
This is in reference to Biden’s zero-tolerance policy which made it easier for officials to revoke firearm licenses and more difficult to obtain new firearm licenses. This isn’t the first time one of Biden’s policies has come under fire. His agriculture policies have been met with opposition.
Back in January, Gaetz introduced a new bill in response to the ATF’s ruling, the bill, H.R. 374, is called the “Abolish the ATF Act.” This came as a response to the ATF’s ruling of stricter regulations about owning pistol-stabilizing braces. Stabilizing braces are used so that gun owners can fire with one hand.
Gaetz had told Fox News what impact this ruling would have on disabled veterans. He explained, “I have a lot of disabled veterans in my district who enjoy pistol shooting and rely on stabilizing braces to be able to engage in the activity.”
Both Gaetz and Greene plan to use the Holman Rule to make amendments to the salaries of federal employees, in this case, Mr. Steven Dettelbach’s salary. If this doesn’t work, Gaetz has laid out his future plans for dealing with the ATF.
“If that doesn’t work, we’re going to target the individual bureaucrats at the top of the ATF who have exceeded their authority in rulemaking. And if that doesn’t work, we’re going to take a meat cleaver to the statutes that the ATF believes broadly authorize their actions.”
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to Fox News
Gaetz is clear on his stance against the ATF and that his plan doesn’t stop at just defunding the ATF director, he wants the ATF to justify its existence.
