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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 13 July 2022
Dettelbach becomes head of ATF, 1st confirmed chief in years

By MICHAEL BALSAMO Richardson has been the
Associated Press agency's deputy director.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Dettelbach's confirmation
U.S. Senate on Tuesday con- was immediately hailed
firmed Steve Dettelbach, a by advocates who high-
former federal prosecutor, lighted his experience as
to run the federal Bureau of a prosecutor and his work
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms with law enforcement.
and Explosives, making him "Steve Dettelbach's bipar-
the agency's first confirmed tisan confirmation vote is
director since 2015. a watershed victory for
Dettelbach takes the reins the gun safety movement
of the agency as the Biden and further proof that the
administration and the Jus- Senate logjam around this
tice Department are fight- life-or-death issue is finally
ing to combat a surge in breaking," said John Feinb-
violent crime, gun violence latt, president of Everytown
and mass shootings that for Gun Safety.
has touched both big cities His nomination had been
and small rural communi- staunchly opposed by gun
ties across the nation. rights groups, including
Dettelbach was confirmed Gun Owners of America,
by the Senate in a 48-46 which wrote a letter Tues-
vote. President Joe Biden's nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, day to Senate leaders urg-
He's racked up endorse- Steve Dettelbach speaks during an event in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington ing them to vote against
on April 11, 2022.
ments from law enforce- Associated Press him.q
ment officials, former Jus-
tice Department officials the chairman of the civil
who worked for both Re- rights subcommittee as
publican and Democratic part of the attorney gener-
administrations and victims al's advisory committee un-
of violence. Two Republi- der former attorneys gen-
can lawmakers, Sens. Su- eral Eric Holder and Loretta
san Collins of Maine and Lynch.
Rob Portman of Ohio, vot- Biden had to withdraw the
ed to confirm Dettelbach. nomination of his first ATF
President Joe Biden hailed nominee, gun control ad-
Dettelbach's confirmation vocate David Chipman, af-
and said Dettelbach "will ter it stalled for months be-
play a leading role in ensur- cause of opposition from
ing robust implementation" Republicans and some
of the widest ranging gun Democrats in the Senate.
violence bill Congress has Both Republican and Dem-
passed in decades and ocratic administrations had
other action to drive down long failed to get nominees
violent crime. for the ATF position through
"We have so much more to the politically fraught pro-
do," Biden said in a state- cess since the director's po-
ment. "I will continue to call sition was made confirm-
on Congress to build on able in 2006. Since then,
this momentum and ban only one nominee, former
assault weapons, expand U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones,
background checks, and has been confirmed. Jones
pass safe storage laws." made it through the Senate
Biden called Dettelbach in 2013 but only after a six-
an "extraordinarily quali- month struggle.
fied and decorated ca- Jones was acting direc-
reer prosecutor with strong tor when President Barack
support across the law en- Obama nominated him in
forcement community." January 2013 and left the
Dettelbach is a former fed- role in 2015.
eral prosecutor who served Earlier this year, the Biden
as U.S. attorney in Ohio administration removed
from 2009 to 2016 and has the agency's acting direc-
run in the past for attorney tor, Marvin Richardson,
general of Ohio. He worked from his position and re-
in several other positions in placed him with the U.S.
the Justice Department attorney in Arizona, Gary
and was involved in the Restaino. Restaino has jug-
prosecution of a man who gled both jobs as Dettel-
firebombed an Ohio court- bach's nomination waded
house. He also served as its way through the Senate.