Posted on 03/12/2015 10:45:07 PM PDT by Lazamataz
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) has reintroduced legislation to do away with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Sensenbrenner, a senior Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, said the policies under ATF's jurisdiction could be easily incorporated into other agencies. Moreover, he argued, the ATF has become embroiled in too many controversies in recent years, like the botched "Fast and Furious" gun-tracking operation.
"The ATF is a scandal-ridden, largely duplicative agency that lacks a clear mission. Its 'Framework' is an affront to the Second Amendment and yet another reason why Congress should pass the ATF Elimination Act," Sensenbrenner said in a statement. The ATF has drawn the ire of Republican lawmakers for its proposed ban on an armor-piercing bullet used in AR-15 rifles. Republicans say that hunters frequently use the bullets. The bureau says it initiated the regulation to help protect law enforcement officers from bullets that can pierce armored vests.
Sensenbrenner's bill would transfer the ATF's functions related to guns, explosives and violent crime to the FBI. Meanwhile, responsibilities regarding alcohol and tobacco laws would fall under the Drug Enforcement Administration's jurisdiction.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
My congressman. He’s done some things I haven’t liked, but the large majority of them have been good. This is an excellent move despite Boehner and company thwarting it, or Obama vetoing it.
May as well go for it and dothe same for the EPA and IRS.
Separation of powers and agencies used to mean something. It’s now an alphabet soup with expensive duplication.
If they did banish the agency, would we save money, or would they just rearrange the employees across the government payroll and have the same problems? I think thats what would happen. Government employees realigning government employees.
A government job is the safest spot in the universe.
We can hope!
There was a time and place for ATF...that end probably should have occurred in the 1980s (it was obsolete already by then). It’s simply a dump yard for marginal performers.
If politics won’t work to dissolve it....then they ought to take alcohol totally away from these guys and start referring to them as ‘TF’ only. That might get the message across to them.
He was my congressman when I lived in Ozaukee County and he’s now my congressman again since I moved to Washington County. He did seem to be slipping the last few years but this move is one I can whole-heartily support.
“It’s simply a dump yard for marginal performers.”
I was going to post something in agreement mentioning Lon Horiuchi, but did a quick search beforehand only to find out that he was actually A member of the FBI’s HRT, and not ATF.
But it your sentiment is correct. I recall reading a series of articles where the ATF was setting up storefronts to entice certain targeted individuals into making illegal purchases. They DID hire some marginal performers to lure their suspects/targets into their stores. IIRC, one person on the payroll had an IQ that clearly put him in the ‘retarded’ category.
this make alot of sense, the guns/explosive should be FBI’s responsibility and the tobacco should go to the drugs enforcement admin
Kill it.
“Government employees realigning government employees.”
That would not happen if the Congress, in writing the legislation, were to completely specify what is supposed to happen. We get to the place we are with the “alphabet soup” agencies, because the Congress writes a “one liner,” then hucks the turd over the fence to the Executive Branch for “implementation,” along with an overly generous fist full of dollars. Is it any wonder we are where we are today.
Really? Maze these wonderfuls, into the DEA, FBI and HomeLand Security or even the National Guard. The agency of ATF will not go away, just become more invisible. Good grief! You boys are not thinking- just reacting. This an end run, around Posse Comitatus. If you can’t see, the unified effort being made here- you are stupid, beyond belief.
How about putting those policies under the control of local convenience stories?
ATF should be a convenience store rather than a government agency.
Damn, you beat me to it.
I remember that story. I think it was up in the Milwaukee region. I kept thinking it’d be a great TV series....mentally handicapped guy given some storefront to run/manage and cops acting as fake employees of the storefront and low-IQ boss. Be a great comedy.
Bury it in a mass grave with the Fed, the IRS and a hoard of other alphabet soups that are, at best, useless.
The reason Congress only slapped the ATF’s hand then instead of abolishing it and rolling its function over into the FBI was simple. The ATF employees were so marginal in performance that NONE of federal law enforcement wanted anything to do with them. ATF was considered the very bottom of the food chain and weren't readily employable by other agencies.
I suspect the same thing will happen again because the ATF has continued to spiral down since the 1970’s and its antics have gotten worse and deadlier.
My dream is to see ATF become a national convenience store chain... ;-P
It will never happen, but wouldn’t it be sweet?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.