Blumenthal Urges Confirmation of ATF Director Nominee David Chipman Before Senate Judiciary Committee
Blumenthal described Chipman as “a man who has spent twenty-five years of his life at that agency, a man who is dedicated to making these laws real in people’s lives and making our streets and communities safer.”
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) spoke in support of the confirmation of David Chipman to be Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) during a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting to consider his nomination. Blumenthal urged his colleagues on the committee to support Chipman, citing the nominee’s twenty-five years as an ATF agent and his extensive background in law enforcement.
“I believe more than anything, and I talk about it frequently, in enforcement – fair and effective enforcement of our laws. In fact, our laws are dead letter unless they’re enforced, and that’s why I’m going to vote for David Chipman,” Blumenthal said. “He is above everything else, an enforcer. That’s his life’s experience. Twenty-five years as an agent in ATF, he believes in enforcement.”
Blumenthal also cited the hypocrisy of those opposed to common sense gun violence prevention measures, including those who say enforcement of existing laws is needed rather than new or strengthened laws. “If my colleagues are really serious about fighting crime, they will say no to the NRA and other groups that have said again and again they want effective enforcement. They say continuously they want enforcement of existing laws, not new laws. Well, if they want effective enforcement, they ought to be in favor of David Chipman. And we need new laws, no question, but we also need effective enforcement.”
As director, Chipman would be leading the ATF in their mission to protect the public from crimes involving firearms, explosives, arson, and the diversion of alcohol and tobacco products. The agency also works in the regulation of lawful commerce in firearms and explosives, and supporting law enforcement, public safety, and industry partners.
The full text of Blumenthal's remarks is copied below.
Thank you Mr. Chairman. You know, a number of us on this committee share an experience in law enforcement. Like my colleague from Missouri, I was our state’s attorney general for some twenty years. I was the United States Attorney in Connecticut, the chief federal prosecutor. And I believe more than anything, and I talk about it frequently, in enforcement – fair and effective enforcement of our laws. In fact, our laws are dead letter unless they’re enforced, and that’s why I’m going to vote for David Chipman.
He is above everything else, an enforcer. That’s his life’s experience. Twenty-five years as an agent in ATF, he believes in enforcement. And if my colleagues across the aisle are really serious about stopping the wave of gun violence that we see in our streets, they will vote for David Chipman. If they are really serious about stopping violent crime, they will support effective enforcement of laws. And we can agree that this nation is awash in an ocean of crime guns – stolen and lost guns that have spurred a wave of violent crime across the country, focused mainly on the streets and communities that have those lost and stolen guns.
So, very briefly, there is a lot of mischaracterization and misrepresentation of what David Chipman has done or said. But at the end of the day, it is his enforcement background that makes him eminently qualified.
I agree that we should address gun violence. In fact, the Subcommittee on the Constitution has been having hearings on gun violence, on ghost guns and red flag statutes and other measures that can help to stop gun violence. So I welcome that focus and hope that we will confirm the nomination of a man who will be the second, only the second confirmed director of ATF. A man who has spent twenty-five years of his life at that agency, a man who is dedicated to making these laws real in people’s lives and making our streets and communities safer.
And if my colleagues are really serious about fighting crime, they will say no to the NRA and other groups that have said again and again they want effective enforcement. They say continuously they want enforcement of existing laws, not new laws. Well, if they want effective enforcement, they ought to be in favor of David Chipman. And we need new laws, no question, but we also need effective enforcement. Thank you Mr. Chairman.
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