On Monday, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) acknowledged that “there are a lot of issues” with President Joe Biden’s ATF nominee David Chipman.
Politico reported that Durbin said the whip count “is not where we want it yet, but there’s always a chance.”
Republicans appear united in opposition to Chipman.
Breitbart News noted Sen. Pat Toomey’s (R-PA) July 15, 2021, announcement that he will vote against confirming Chipman.
In this Sept. 25, 2019, file photo Giffords Law Center Senior Policy Advisor David Chipman speaks at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on assault weapons on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
Toomey said, “While I respect David Chipman’s nearly 25 years of experience as an ATF agent. I fear that his subsequent vocal support for policies that limit the rights of law-abiding gun owners and his past criticisms of those in the firearm industry would compromise his ability to carry out ATF’s mission effectively.”
On June 22, 2021, Breitbart News pointed out Sen. Susan Collins’ (R-ME) concern about Chipman. She cited concerns similar to Toomey’s and also referenced statements Chipman “has made … that demean law-abiding gun owners.”
Fox News quoted Collins saying:
Although he has the right to express his views, I believe this history makes him an unusually divisive pick for this important position. In particular, I am concerned that his confirmation would do significant damage to the collaborative working relationship that must exist between ATF, the firearms industry, sportsmen and women, and other law-abiding gun owners exercising their Second Amendment rights.
With no Republican support, Durbin is waiting on Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Jon Tester (D-MT), and a few other red-state Democrats, hoping they will put Chipman’s nomination over the top.
Breitbart News explained that Donald Trump Jr. is calling on Democrat constituents in red states to call Manchin, Tester, and others and urge them to vote against confirming Chipman.
Trump Jr. told Breitbart News, “David Chipman is an anti-2nd Amendment radical, who has a long record of supporting gun confiscation and restricting the rights of law abiding gun owners.”
Politico observed that Chipman is still a “senior policy adviser” at Gabby Giffords’ gun control group.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWRHawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.