ATF Under Fire As Boebert Pushes To Abolish Agency

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) has launched an effort to dismantle the ATF, citing the agency’s history of overreach and controversial enforcement practices. Her bill, HR 129, calls for the complete abolition of the bureau.

Boebert has argued the ATF undermines the legislative process by acting as a lawmaking body through its regulatory actions. “Bureaucrats don’t create laws. Congress does,” she said, pointing to the agency’s stabilizing brace rule as an example of regulatory abuse.

The congresswoman also criticized the ATF for its role in Operation Fast and Furious, a failed sting operation that allowed firearms to fall into the hands of Mexican cartels. “Operation Fast and Furious exposed the recklessness of the ATF,” Boebert said, highlighting the agency’s mishandling of the program.

Republicans have long accused the ATF of targeting law-abiding gun owners instead of focusing on public safety. Missouri Rep. Eric Burlison called the agency “a disaster” and a violator of Second Amendment rights.

Boebert’s bill reflects a growing desire among Republicans to curtail federal agencies they view as overreaching. The GOP now controls Congress, and President-elect Donald Trump has expressed support for rolling back bureaucratic power.

While the bill remains in its early stages, the push to abolish the ATF signals a renewed Republican focus on limiting federal authority and protecting constitutional rights.

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