BATFE, Firearm Importation & Federal Firearm Law Reform
Among its duties, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) monitors firearm manufacturers, importers and dealers for compliance with record-keeping requirements; conducts traces on the commercial paths of individual firearms at the request of law enforcement agencies; interprets firearm importation law; and administers transfers of firearms regulated by the National Firearm Act of 1934.
The BATFE was used by the Clinton administration to reduce the number of firearm dealers, and by the administrations of presidents G. H. W. Bush and Clinton to restrict “assault weapons” by misinterpreting firearm importation law. The agency’s tracing data, sometimes useful in identifying persons involved in illegally trafficking firearms, have been mischaracterized by gun control supporters in the context of their campaigns against “Saturday Night Specials” and “assault weapons,” and in favor of making state gun laws more restrictive.
BATFE has been widely criticized for its role in the “Ruby Ridge” and “Waco” tragedies, and Operation Fast and Furious, in which the agency knowingly allowed firearms to be bought by straw purchasers and other traffickers, and thereafter smuggled from the United States to Mexico, where they made their way to violent drug cartels.
Monday, June 7, 2010
With wide bipartisan support in both houses of Congress, H.R. 2296 and S. 941 could be historic victories ...
Monday, May 11, 2009
Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) have introduced S. 941, the “Bureau ...
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Two federal appeals courts recently handed down important decisions that clarify the standard for revoking a dealer’s federal ...
Friday, November 21, 2008
In an all-too-rare court victory, a pair of North Carolina gun stores has defeated an attempt by the ...
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
As an FFL holder, you have specific legal rights that can help when the ATF comes calling. A ...
Monday, March 31, 2008
Representatives Steve King (R-Iowa) and Zack Space (D-Ohio), have introduced H.R. 4900 the “Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms ...
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Since we last reported on our drive to reform federal firearm laws ("BATFE Hearings Lead to Reform Bills," ...
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Since we last reported on our drive to reform federal firearm laws (“BATFE Hearings Lead to Reform Bills,” ...
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Congressional investigations into ongoing BATFE abuses have led to two bills to change how the agency does business, ...
Thursday, May 4, 2006
At the urging of NRA-ILA, a key Congressional subcommittee examines the heavy-handed tactics used by the Bureau of ...
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