WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Monday released the following statement after the Justice Department issued a final rule to rein in the proliferation of ghost guns and President Biden announced the nomination of Steve Dettelbach to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF):

“President Biden took two big steps forward today to address the gun violence epidemic that is plaguing our nation. Maybe people don’t pay as much attention when there aren’t regular headline grabbing mass shootings, but gun deaths are way up across the country since the pandemic began, and we can’t stand by and do nothing in the face of this rising carnage. Ghost guns are increasingly the weapon of choice for criminals in this country and this regulation will save lives. I also hope the Senate will move Dettelbach’s nomination to head the ATF forward. It’s a public safety nightmare that the ATF – the agency responsible for the investigation and enforcement of federal gun laws, cracking down on illegal guns, and going after gun trafficking criminals – has not had a Senate-confirmed director in seven years. With Dettelbach at the helm, the ATF can help lead the way in keeping our communities safe from gun violence.”

Murphy continued, “It’s no secret that great social change movements take time. Gun violence prevention advocates have been met with obstacles and frustrations, but the people who are a part of this grassroots movement won’t give up. Each day, each step brings us closer to defeating the gun lobby and creating enough political headwinds to finally end the scourge of gun violence across our country.”

Murphy spoke on the Senate floor last year highlighting the success of community violence intervention programs in curbing gun violence and the importance of funding these programs as rates of gun violence have surged during the pandemic. Murphy, along with U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representative David Cicilline (D-R.I.) led 45 lawmakers in introducing legislation to ban ghost guns.

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