A few weeks ago, Mike sent a very important message about the danger posed by David Chipman whom President Biden has nominated as ATF Director.  If you missed it, click here for the web version.

I will be blunt:  David Chipman poses an existential threat to our Second Amendment rights. Period!

As a paid consultant to Giffords, Chipman was a co-author of this document urging bans on common firearms accessories.  As a former ATF agent, he clearly has their attention:  ATF has already banned bump stocks and is working on banning pistol braces.  And the document doesn’t stop there; he is also urging magazine and ammunition bans.  As a so called “policy adviser” to Giffords, Chipman is dangerous.  However, as ATF Director, Chipman will be in a position to carry out the policies he has advocated as a paid consultant to an anti-gun advocacy organization.

Even former ATF Director Michael Sullivan thinks that Chipman should be disqualified.  In an OpEd published on Fox News, Sullivan wrote: “His partisan advocacy is his right as a private citizen, but engaging in his specific advocacy means his ability to objectively carry out the constitutional and legal responsibilities of the ATF, and effectively lead the more than 5,000 men and women who serve there, will be questioned both within and outside of ATF. ”

Mr. Sullivan also wrote: “Moreover, it has been reported that he mocked those who recently became new gun owners and advocated for the forceful closure of fully legal gun stores during the early days of the pandemic, despite their classification as ‘essential’ under Department of Homeland Security’s Essential Industries list.”

Mr. Sullivan concluded by writing:  ”Policy debates around firearms should be left to the lawmakers in Congress, not to agency leaders. If a nominee wants to craft firearm policy, there’s a mechanism to do that: run for office, and let the voters decide. The American public, and ATF, need a leader who is focused on mission, not policy debates.”

When a former ATF Director so forcefully opposes Chipman, you can be sure that Chipman’s confirmation as ATF Director would not just be a “slippery slope” for gun rights. It would be a straight nose-dive into tyranny.

Here is what you can do to help.

Please use the above form to let both Senators Hassan and Shaheen know that you find David Chipman’s nomination completely unacceptable.  Then, follow your email up with a telephone call to Senator Hassan: (202) 224-3324.

When you call, let the person answering the phone know that you expect Senator Hassan to vote NO on the Chipman confirmation vote.  Give them your name and please remember to be polite. Senator Shaheen can be reached at (202) 224-2841.

When you ask our Senators to vote NO on the Chipman Confirmation, it is a good idea to remind them that the firearms industry plays a huge role in New Hampshire’s economy by providing thousands of good paying skilled jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in economic benefits to our state.  A Chipman confirmation will put many of those jobs in jeopardy as well as private ownership of firearms and ammunition.