It’s past time for Congress to holistically reconsider BATFE. It’s a prohibition-era tax enforcement agency that’s been turned into a federal vice squad. They’ve long outlived their purpose and regularly overstep their authority. Congress needs to decide what useful functions they actually provide, and distribute those functions to the appropriate agencies to continue. The rest of ATF needs to go the way of the 18th Amendment.
Oh, like those stellar examples of fine upstanding, trustworthy government, the IRS and FBI???
I don’t really know. I’m not even sure what value the ATF brings to the American public.
For example, I’ve read that they assist state and local departments with arson investigations. Is that something we need at the federal level? If it is, then yeah, that seems like it would be a good function for the FBI. We don’t need to keep an entire federal vice-squad just for their expertise on arsons.
(Yes, I know that the anti-gun lobby is going to say that the value ATF brings is tracking all those dangerous guns and tobacco products. The GOP should have gotten rid of ATF back when they had full control of Congress and the White House.)
Like all federal alphabet agencies, the BATFE enjoys eternal life. Republicans rail against it (and the IRS and the EPA and the Depart of Education), but in the end they do nada. Even when they enjoy majorities in both houses and the Presidency. “Vote for me! Send me a dollar! I will get rid of the ATF!”
“The problem is worth more than the solution.”
I just saw this on GnG…
This brings a total of 26 states, 6 ish organizations, and businesses.
Although the NRA isn’t a plaintiff, they have opened up their purse.