If Confirmed, Chipman Will Be First ATF Director Since 2015 – A Critically Important Position At Time of Rising Gun Violence.
WASHINGTON –– Today, Everytown for Gun Safety and its grassroots networks, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, released the following statements after the Senate Judiciary Committee vote on the nomination of David Chipman to be Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The full Senate will now have an opportunity to consider the nomination.
In April, President Joe Biden nominated David Chipman to be Director of the ATF, which hasn’t had a permanent director since 2015. David Chipman is a public servant, gun owner, decorated law enforcement professional, and gun safety expert. He has spent his career serving the public, combating violent crime, and working to make our communities safer, including 25 years as an ATF special agent.
“David Chipman will be the most qualified ATF Director we’ve ever seen, and his leadership will ensure ATF is doing everything it possibly can to stop gun trafficking and keep our communities safe, a critically important task at a time of rising gun violence,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “ATF has been without a permanent director for six years and given American’s gun violence crisis, that’s six years too long. We urge the Senate to immediately fill this gap by confirming David Chipman.”
“Gun violence continues to dominate daily life in the United States, highlighting the urgent need for a permanent director of the ATF, and David Chipman is the right person with the right experience for the job.” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. “David is someone who will ensure that the agency is doing everything in its power to stop guns from ending up in the hands of those who shouldn’t have them, before they can be used to injure and kill.”
David Chipman is uniquely qualified to lead ATF and work from day one to identify and address the gun trafficking channels that flood our communities with illegal guns. Chipman is a 25-year veteran at ATF, where he focused on enforcing firearms and explosives laws, including investigating acts of arson, bombings, and terrorism, and combating the illegal trafficking of guns, alcohol, and tobacco products. Since leaving ATF, Chipman has served as an expert advising organizations on the front lines of gun violence prevention in the United States.
In late May, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, Giffords, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, and Community Justice Action Fund released a new ad featuring retired ATF special agents and community leaders in support of Chipman.
