Posted on 02/14/2008 11:19:16 AM PST by neverdem
The confirmation of US Attorney Michael J. Sullivan as head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives was thrown into further doubt yesterday, when a Republican senator who is blocking the nomination renewed complaints that Sullivan has refused to loosen licensing rules for guns.
The development means that the future leadership of the US attorney's office in Boston will remain cloudy for the foreseeable future, because the Bush administration has been unable to nominate a replacement.
For now, Sullivan is performing both roles while his nomination is caught in a crossfire over gun policy.
Senator David Vitter of Louisiana said yesterday that he met with Sullivan late last year to discuss what Vitter described as burdensome regulations imposed on gun owners and dealers by the bureau, which Sullivan has led as acting director since September 2006. Vitter asked Sullivan to address the concerns in writing.
"I recently received his answers to those questions, and I was disappointed in his responses, so I am going to continue to hold this nominee," Vitter said in a statement released to the Globe. "The nominee seems to support the ATF's current inadequate policies and exhibits a lack of willingness to address these problems."
Vitter's office did not release Sullivan's response, but the senator said the bureau holds gun dealers and owners to unreasonable licensing standards and subjects them to severe penalties if they make errors in paperwork.
Under Senate rules, a single senator can put a hold on legislative action for months. Vitter and two Republican senators from Idaho, Larry Craig and Mike Crapo, have held up Sullivan's confirmation since December, saying the bureau is overly aggressive in enforcing gun laws.
Craig and Crapo sent Sullivan a letter Jan. 22 posing ten questions, including some about ATF's treatment of small gun shops...
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Good job, Sen. Vitter!
Good man
One more area in which the Bush administration attempts to further control the private ownership of firearms.
And one more reason to buy from private sellers.
Hey Sullivan, why don’t you go try to catch some real bad guys?
The penalties for administrative errors during an audit put more FFL holders out of business then anything else. The BATFE inspectors that come in, look for any little thing they can to fine and punish the FFL holder.
Punctuation, or a misplaced letter can cost a couple of grand.
Sullivan really needs his Butt kicked back where it came from.
A polidiot from Boston to rule over firearms in this day and age ?
Puleeeze !
Like giving Pelosi the keys to the Botox Box !
Gheeesh !
Excellent,it would seem the Hill Repubs are kicking at the goad...
Good for Vitter, but I wish he could find better company than Craig and Crapo.
Another reason Bush is an enemy of the Republic.
Doing the job we hired them for. Good job, Gentlemen!
>And one more reason to buy from private sellers.<
and use ONLY retired gunsmiths.
(No, I am not one)LOL
“The nominee seems to support the ATF’s current inadequate policies and exhibits a lack of willingness to address these problems.”
Which, ironically, makes him a perfect fit for the ATF.
Good !! And a nice sharp stick in the eye of the gun grabbers !!
It’s about time our Congressional Representatives treat this administration as the enemy.
No Child Left Behind, Prescription Drug Care, campaign finance aka 1st Amendment restrictions, Border control, Amnesty, Amicus Brief aka 2nd amendment repeal, (I’m sure I’m forgetting some)
This Administration is Democrat. We need to treat it like one.
let me help, LOST, Aids in Africa, $$ to Palestinian Terrorist, no check Green Cards ++.
peas in the same pod with Johnny Sutton persecutor of conscientious border patrol agents
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