David Chipman Demonstrates in Senate Hearing he is the Right Leader for the ATF

May 26, 2021

David Chipman Demonstrates in Senate Hearing he is the Right Leader for the ATF

Washington, D.C. -- Guns Down America Executive Director Igor Volsky released the following statement in reaction to the Senate confirmation hearing for David Chipman to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“For far too long, criminals have trafficked guns from states with weak gun laws into places with strong gun laws, causing a surge in community gun violence,” said Igor Volsky, founder and executive director of Guns Down America. “David Chipman showed today that he is committed to properly regulating the firearm industry and cracking down on illegal gun trafficking, which will undoubtedly save thousands of American lives. President Biden chose a qualified, experienced leader in David Chipman and we implore the Senate to swifty confirm him to lead the ATF.”

So far this year, more than 17,000 Americans have been killed by guns and our nation experienced at least 231 mass shooting incidents in which four or more people were shot, including today's developing incident in San Jose, California.

Beyond the nomination of David Chipman to lead the ATF, President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer must prioritize investing in the communities closest to the pain of everyday gun violence and strengthening our nation’s lax gun laws or these numbers will only grow as the number of guns in our country has surged during the pandemic.