Statement by the President on the Bipartisan Confirmation of Career Prosecutor Steve Dettelbach to be the First Senate-Confirmed ATF Director in 7 Years

As I’ve made clear time and time again, the answer to the rise in crime my administration inherited is not to defund law enforcement; it’s to provide law enforcement with the resources and support they need to  succeed in working effectively with the communities they serve.

The Senate just took an important, bipartisan step by confirming Steve Dettelbach, an extraordinarily qualified and decorated career prosecutor with strong support across the law enforcement community, to be the first permanent head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in over 7 years.

Steve’s distinguished prosecutorial experience spans over two decades at the Department of Justice under four different administrations, two Republican and two Democratic. His work and reputation have earned him the support of former ATF directors who’ve led the department over the last 40 years, in addition to a wide range of law enforcement organizations and leaders, including police chiefs and sheriffs across the country. He was also endorsed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Following the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, today’s vote is another important sign that both parties can come together to support law enforcement and stand up against the horrific scourge of gun violence. I thank the Senate for their support. And it is my hope that we can continue working together to keep Americans safe – especially our children – from mass shootings like those in Uvalde, Buffalo, and Highland Park, as well as the daily acts of gun violence that don’t make national headlines.

We have so much more to do. I will continue to call on Congress to build on this momentum and ban assault weapons, expand background checks, and pass safe storage laws. At the same time, my Administration will build on our record of taking historic executive action. And as ATF Director, Steve will play a leading role in ensuring robust implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and driving forward other executive actions to fight crime and save lives.