WASHINGTON — Two House Republicans introduced legislation this week that would abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, adding the Justice Department agency to a list of entities in Washington that could be under a microscope as the GOP pledges to restructure and downsize the federal government. 

What You Need To Know

  • Two House Republicans introduced legislation this week that would abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, adding the Justice Department agency to a list of entities in Washington that could be under a microscope as the GOP pledges to restructure and downsize the federal government
  • In a press release announcing the effort on Tuesday, Republican Reps. Eric Burlison of Missouri and Lauren Boebert of Colorado pointed to the Second Amendment as a driving force behind their bill and  accused the agency, whose responsibilities include enforcing federal law related to firearms and explosives, as having a record of “overreach, incompetence, and tragedy"
  • Republicans who, as of Friday, control both chambers of Congress and will soon have a trifecta when President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House later this month, have made slashing the federal government a key priority during a second Trump administration

In a press release announcing the effort on Tuesday, Republican Reps. Eric Burlison of Missouri and Lauren Boebert of Colorado pointed to the Second Amendment as a driving force behind their bill, saying getting rid of the ATF would safeguard Americans’ right to own a gun. 

“As co-chair of the Congressional Second Amendment Caucus, I’m eager to continue this effort with Rep. Burlison to defend our constitutional rights,” Boebert said in a statement. “The ATF should be abolished before they eventually abolish our Second Amendment.” 

The pair also accused the agency, whose responsibilities include enforcing federal law related to firearms and explosives, as having a record of “overreach, incompetence, and tragedy.”

“The ATF is emblematic of the deep-state bureaucracy that believes it can infringe on constitutional liberties without consequence,” Burlison said. 

Co-sponsors of the bill include Republican Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Mike Collins of Georgia, Bob Onder of Missouri, Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Mary Miller of Illinois, Keith Self of Texas and Paul Gosar of Arizona. 

Republicans who, as of Friday, control both chambers of Congress and will soon have a trifecta when President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House later this month, have made slashing the federal government a key priority during a second Trump administration. 

The effort — which will have its own newly created advisory commission dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency, or "DOGE," led by businessmen Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy — is expected to propose cuts to the federal workforce and potentially the elimination of entire departments and agencies altogether. 

Trump himself pledged on the campaign trail to shut down the Department of Education, for instance, citing concerns such as schools currently “indoctrinating young people.”