WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency has sent staff to the agency that enforces federal gun laws with the goal of revising or eliminating more than 50 rules and gun restrictions by July 4, the Washington Post reported on Friday. DOGE is working with the general counsel of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, […]
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DOGE enters US ATF with mandate to slash gun regulations, Washington Post reports
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency has sent staff to the agency that enforces federal gun laws with the goal of revising or eliminating more than 50 rules and gun restrictions by July 4, the Washington Post reported on Friday.
DOGE is working with the general counsel of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to cut the regulations as the Trump administration drastically reduces the number of inspectors, the newspaper reported.
The ATF, without confirming the DOGE visit in an email to Reuters, said it was “reviewing and modernizing its regulations consistent with” President Donald Trump’s and Attorney General Pam Bondi’s directives.
“This modernization project focuses ATF’s enforcement on violent criminals, while reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens on lawful gun owners and dealers,” the ATF, which is overseen by the Justice Department, said.
Representatives for DOGE did not return a request for comment.
The move illustrates a larger shift in gun control promised by the Republican administration of Trump, who narrowly survived a July assassination attempt by a gunman during the presidential campaign.
An adviser said shortly after that attempt that Trump would safeguard gun rights by appointing federal judges who oppose new firearm limits if he won the election in November.
He signed an executive order in February directing the attorney general to “review all orders, regulations, guidance, plans, and other actions by the Biden Administration regarding firearms” and eliminate infringements on gun rights.
In May, Trump’s administration agreed to permit the sale and possession of devices that let gun enthusiasts convert semiautomatic rifles into weapons that can shoot as fast as machine guns.
Fifteen Democratic-led U.S. states filed a lawsuit on June 9, seeking to block the move.
(Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina and Anusha Shah in Bengaluru and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Editing by Joe Bavier and Matthew Lewis)