Joe Biden has withdrawn the nomination of David Chipman to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), reports say.
Chipman, who had called for a ban on the nation's most popular rifle, the AR-15, and for confiscating AR-15s already in the possession of Americans, had faced strong Republican opposition in the Senate.
Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley said: "Mr. Chipman’s long record as a partisan, anti-Second Amendment activist raised plenty of concerns about how he’d administer federal firearms laws. But that wasn’t the only cause for concern. The record he concealed from Congress, some of which remains hidden to this day, about how he treated his fellow employees while at the ATF confirms his lack of fitness to lead the agency."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky tweeted: "Glad to hear reports the White House is taking my advice and pulling the terrible nomination of David Chipman. Absurd that a vocal opponent of Americans' constitutional rights was ever picked to run ATF. This is a win for the Second Amendment and law-abiding American citizens."
Grassley had previously said of Chipman: “Day to day, ATF plays a significant role in the legal trade of firearms in this country. Many see putting a committed gun control proponent like Mr. Chipman in charge of ATF as like putting a tobacco executive in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, or Antifa in charge of the Portland Police Department.”
Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton noted that Chipman is a “notorious gun-grabber” who wants to ban “tens of millions of firearms.”
Reports say that Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who generally votes with the Democrats, was a holdout on Chipman and was a key factor in the decision to withdraw the nomination.
Chipman previously worked at the ATF for nearly 25 years, but currently serves as a policy adviser for the advocacy group founded by former Arizona Democrat Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
In a July interview, Chipman referred to American gun owners as "Tiger Kings" preparing for a zombie apocalypse.
Gun-control group Brady United condemned the Senate for failing to confirm Chipman.
"It is hugely disappointing and unconscionable that 50 members of the U.S. Senate as well as at least one senator who caucuses with the President’s party would deny President Biden his choice to lead the ATF. It is even more concerning that they would do so by parroting the talking points of the gun lobby, which has spread misinformation and blatant lies about David Chipman since his nomination was announced," Brady President Kris Brown said.
Chipman's downfall marks the second major defeat for a Biden. The White House withdrew its nomination of Neera Tanden to run the Office of Management and Budget earlier this year, after West Virginia Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin announced he opposed her over her controversial Twitter history.
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