Van Hollen Statement on Biden Measures to Address Gun Violence

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding President Biden’s newly-announced measures to address gun violence, including his nomination of David Chipman to serve as Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). Senator Van Hollen recently led a letter with over 10 of his colleagues urging the Biden Administration to quickly fill this position and take other steps to address gun violence, including action to crack down on ghost guns and improve firearms trafficking reports. The Senator has also authored legislation to tackle gun violence, including a bill to improve and modernize ATF and a bill to incentivize state permit to purchase laws.

“Gun violence has plagued too many families in Maryland and across the country. To stop this senseless violence, we must enact national, common-sense policies that meaningfully address this crisis, and we must have dedicated leadership at ATF that is committed to tackling this epidemic.

“Today’s actions by the Biden Administration are a step in the right direction. From cracking down on ghost guns, to improving firearms trafficking reports, I’m glad to see the Biden Administration move forward on priorities we’ve recommended. Additionally, President Biden’s decision to nominate David Chipman to serve as the Director of ATF sends a clear signal that the Administration is ready to get to work on this issue. David’s breadth and depth of experience on gun violence prevention will be vital in our efforts to modernize ATF to ensure it’s meeting its mission to keep Americans safe. I look forward to working with David and alongside the Biden Administration to further these efforts with legislation. It’s past time for the Congress to act on gun safety reform, and I’ll be fighting tooth and nail to get it done.”