The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms has joined with five other organizations, including the Second Amendment Foundation, in a letter to Attorney General Pamela Bondi, urging her to abandon a proposal to merge the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
In the letter, signed by CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, the groups urge Bondi “to consider abandoning this proposal and continue to operate ATF as a standalone agency of narrow purpose and limited resource, until such time as all unconstitutional federal gun laws are repealed and the ATF can be abolished.”
CCRKBA and SAF are joined by Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners Foundation, Gun Owners of California, Second Amendment Law Center and the California Rifle & Pistol Association.
“The ATF has not been friendly to the Second Amendment or America’s law-abiding gun owners, especially over the past four years,” said Gottlieb. “The agency has an unsavory history which includes such debacles as Waco, Ruby Ridge and Operation Fast & Furious, and this proposal would open the door to more abusive behavior because the agency budget would increase and ATF would have access to DEA’s greater resources and staffing. As we state in the letter, the result would be a ‘super-entity of gun control enforcers’ which could be used by future anti-gun administrations “to target the Second Amendment community in unprecedented ways.”
The letter offers a dozen reasons why such a merger must never be allowed in a free republic, and makes clear that the proposal “does not align with President Trump’s policy agenda.”
“The proposed merger would effectively undermine ATF accountability,” Gottlieb observed, “and result in more agency efforts to erode Second Amendment rights. Such a scenario is unthinkable in a nation whose Constitution and Bill of Rights specifically protects the right to keep and bear arms from government infringement. Instead of providing the ATF with additional funding and the cover of a merger, the ATF should remain as is, with limited funding and scope, under the watchful eye of Congress, which can limit its authority, repeal the onerous federal gun laws it enforces, and even close its doors.”
I never thought this was actually a merger of ATF into DEA. It was touted like it, but in the underlying actions and details it seemed more of a ‘manpower’ and resource sharing kind of thing under a unifying ‘command’ and ATF would still exist as a separate agency doing ATF stuff as would DEA doing DEA stuff and they would just share manpower and resources (which cuts out a lot of bureaucracy and duplication and bloat which would save us $$$).
“which cuts out a lot of bureaucracy and duplication”
That would be good, more resources for federal agents to deport church going Christians.
“After reports of ICE at churches in Montclair and Highland, San Bernardino Bishop denounces raids
Alexandra Crosnoe
UPDATED: June 25, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Diocesan officials said Tuesday, June 24 that ICE agents entered two Catholic parish properties in Montclair and Highland last Friday, June 20.
That afternoon, ICE detained multiple people in the parking lot of St. Adelaide Church in Highland who were neither employees of the parish nor parishioners, said John Andrews, director of communications for the Diocese of San Bernardino, on Tuesday. Agents also took one male parishioner into custody at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Montclair on Friday afternoon, Andrews said“
Hopefully, they’ll also deport other religious fanatics, delusional folks who believe snakes can talk don’t really have a place in the United States of America and it’s good to see that Donald Trump‘s ICE is going after them, arresting them, and deporting them.
Good to see you supporting Trump.
I’ve never researched it but it seems that the majority of illegals come from predominately catholic countries. The ones here in the US, at any rate. The majority of the border jumpers in europe are likely muslims.
So if a church is harboring criminals then the state has a right to raid and arrest. Good to see you getting on board with our border security.
“Hopefully, they’ll also deport…delusional folks..”
Like you Miner49er.
See what cherry picking looks like there?
criminals going to church are still criminals and criminals are exactly what ICE apprehended.
criminals going to church are still criminals
Look at Bill Clinton.
What part of “illegal immigrant” is unclear?
In a merger of two entities only one survives and the other is absorbed. A G Bondi has consistently used the word “merger”. Some news outlets etc have used the word “consolidate” which is when two companies become one new entity from the two merging entities.
In the case of ATF and DEA merging/consolidating the end results will produce little difference and even though the DEA may survive the ATF will still exist within the framework of the DEA. Neither merge or consolidate is an elimination of either. If total elimination/annihilation is the end results desired, then neither merger nor consolidation is the path to that end.
It is easily understood why A G Bondi chose merger.
Good Luck, with that.
Under the smoke screen of saving money, govt power increases (as designed), not decreases. “Efficiency” is a term with opposing meanings.