Biden’s ATF Pick Reveals His 'Assault Weapon' Ban Includes Most Rifles in America
Nominee David Chipman provides disturbing definition to Senate Judiciary Committee
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Joe Biden's nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has revealed that his proposed "assault weapons" ban will outlaw most rifles in America.
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, Biden's radically pro-gun control ATF pick David Chipman admitted that he supports a ban on a wide range of so-called "assault-style weapons" when pressed by Republican senators.
Chipman, a longtime gun-control activist and anti-Second Amendment lobbyist with more than two decades of experience in working for ATF, revealed that he wants to ban far more rifles than just an AR-15.
Chipman faced questions from several Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans on his views on guns, admitting to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) that he supports a ban on AR-15 rifles and plans to enforce such a ban if Congress were to legislate one.
"Mr. Chipman, a minute ago Sen. Whitehouse asked you if any of your views on guns are out of step with a majority of the American people," Cruz said.
"The AR-15 is one of, if not the most popular rifle in America."
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"It's not a machine gun, it's a rifle," Cruz told Chipman.
"Your public position is that you want to ban AR-15s, is that correct?" Cruz asked.
"With respect to the AR-15, I support a ban," Chipman answered.
"The AR-15 is a gun I was issued on ATF's S.W.A.T team and it's a particularly lethal weapon and regulating it as other particularly lethal weapons, I have advocated for."
WATCH:
WATCH: Sen. Ted Cruz gets Joe Biden’s ATF Director nominee David Chipman to admit that he wants to BAN the AR-15, the most popular rifle in America.
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) May 26, 2021
“With respect to the AR-15, I support a ban.” pic.twitter.com/6nDgalAkRj
Chipman then struggled to provide his definition of an “assault weapon,” even though he has previously advocated for an assault weapons ban, according to The Daily Wire.
When he eventually provided his definition, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) pointed out the nominee’s definition would ban most rifles in America.
“Senator, an ‘assault weapon’ would be, in the context of the question you asked, what Congress defines it as,” Chipman replied.
“So you’re asking us to ban ‘assault weapons,’ we have to write legislation," Cotton said.
"Can you tell me what is an ‘assault weapon?'” he asked.
“How would you define it if you were the head of the ATF?
"How have you defined it over the last several years in your role as a gun control advocate?”
According to Chipman, he can only recall one instance where the department has defined what an “assault weapon” actually is.
“ATF, in that program, has defined an ‘assault rifle’ as any semi-automatic rifle capable of accepting a detachable magazine above the caliber of .22, which would include a .223, which is, you know, largely the AR-15 round.”
Cotton asked if Chipman wanted to ban any firearm larger than a .22 that has a detachable magazine.
Chipman reiterated that his definition was solely for rifles.
“You asked me if ATF had used this term and I was sharing with you my knowledge of a program in which ATF has defined this term and it is in the demand letter 3 program,” the nominee explained.
“And that rifle is a semi-automatic rifle capable of accepting a detachable magazine with a round greater than a .22 caliber …”
“I’m amazed that might be the definition of an ‘assault weapon’,” Cotton replied.
"That would basically cover every single modern sporting rifle in America today," he pointed out.
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The ATF nominee stated the firearms industry previously used the term “assault rifle” in marketing materials but changed the term to “modern sporting rifle” after the 1994 assault weapons ban.
“I’ve been in Walmarts and I’ve been in Cabela’s and I’ve seen that you can find sections for pistols or handguns or for shotguns or for rifles because those are actual kinds of firearms,” Cotton clapped back.
“Our conversation here illustrates that there really is no such thing as an ‘assault weapon.’
"That is a term that was manufactured by liberal lawyers and pollsters in Washington to try and scare the American people into believing that the government should confiscate weapons that are widely popular for millions of Americans to defend themselves and their families and their homes.”
WATCH:
Senator @TomCottonAR asks Biden's ATF nominee David Chipman to define an "assault weapon":
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 26, 2021
"Any semi-automatic rifle capable of accepting a detachable magazine above the caliber of .22" pic.twitter.com/EA4NveiqKt
According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the firearms industry trade association, “Modern sporting rifles are chambered in .22 LR, .223 (5.56 x 45mm), 6.8 SPC, .308, .450 Bushmaster and in many other calibers.”
Even though gun control advocates take aim at AR-15s, they are actually “chambered in calibers less powerful than common big-game hunting cartridges like the .30-06 Springfield and .300 Win. Mag.”
Since 1990, 19.8 million AR-15s have gone into circulation, making it one of the most popular firearms in America.
