Amid Push To Stem Gun Violence, Republicans Reject Biden's ATF Nominee In Committee

Amid bipartisan efforts to do something — anything — to stem the nation’s epidemic of gun violence, Senate Republicans demonstrated Thursday that they won’t even support the simplest of steps: confirming a permanent director at the top agency that enforces federal gun laws.

Every Republican on the Judiciary Committee voted against advancing President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Steven Dettelbach.

The committee vote was an 11-11 tie. The Republicans who voted no are Sens. Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), John Cornyn (Texas), Mike Lee (Utah), Ted Cruz (Texas), Ben Sasse (Neb.), Josh Hawley (Mo.), Tom Cotton (Ark.), John Kennedy (La.), Thom Tillis (N.C.) and Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.).

Notably, Cornyn is currently leading the bipartisan effort to pass a gun safety package in response to recent mass shootings, including the devastating attack in his home state, where 19 children and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

Dettelbach still advanced to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote. But only after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) forced Dettelbach out of the committee by filing a discharge petition later in the day.

The vote was 52-41 to move Dettelbach’s nomination to the floor, with just two Republicans joining all Democrats in voting yes: Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Rob Portman (Ohio). Seven GOP senators did not vote.

Every Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to reject President Joe Biden's ATF nominee, Steven Dettelbach. (Photo: Bill Clark via Getty Images)

“We need a fully functional, fully staffed ATF in order for that agency to fulfill its mission of keeping our communities safe from gun violence,” Schumer said on the Senate floor, just before the vote. “Obviously, the gun safety legislation we’re negotiating is very important, but so is having a fully functioning ATF.”

The ATF hasn’t had a permanent director in seven years. The position, which has long faced opposition from gun rights groups who don’t want anyone confirmed to run the agency charged with regulating them, has only had one Senate-confirmed director in 16 years.

Ahead of Dettelbach’s committee vote, chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said a vote to confirm him is a vote to make the nation safer. He noted that Dettelbach, who has a two-decade career as a Justice Department prosecutor, has been endorsed by virtually every major law enforcement organization in the country.

“Seven years, no leadership,” Durbin said. “For stability, for responsiveness, for accountability and for agency morale, this is long overdue.”

Dettelbach appears to have the votes to be confirmed, which would be a huge win for Biden and gun safety advocates. He is the president’s second pick for the job; his first choice, David Chipman, failed to advance last year after a handful of Democrats wouldn’t support him.

This time around, those same Democrats ― Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Jon Tester (Mont.) and Angus King (Maine), an independent who caucuses with Democrats ― have signaled support for Dettelbach.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.