DOJ thinking about shutting down ATF

[KhanRad]

Going back to 1934 the price would now be $3381 if adjusted for inflation.

Yep. Pay your tax in 30 days or turn in your SBR, suppressor, or other class III.

[Belmont31R]

Handguns were to be included in the NFA the first time the law was proposed....imagine THAT!

[BrianS]

THOUSANDS of unemployed BATmen... that would bring a smile to Col. Cooper's face!

All the agents would just get rolled into some other Federal agency.

[Iraqgunz]

Just thinking out loud here. I don't believe that the tax can be raised without congressional approval.

Also, once it's paid you are good to go. AFAIK they cannot raise the tax and then tell you to pay the new amount.

If any changes are made we need to ensure that gun owners have some representation in the matter.

[Heavy Metal]

Right now, the BATFE is the proverbial "devil we know". If it's disbanded, and it's duties assigned to other agencies (like NFA), I'm not so sure the IRS handling it would be an improvement. What's stopping them from raising the $200 tax stamp to say.... $2,000 per item?

What is stopping them? The United States Congress. The $200 Tax has been set in statute for over 70 years now.

It would take another act of Congress to change it.

[Heavy Metal]

Just thinking out loud here. I don't believe that the tax can be raised without congressional approval.

To quote one Authur Fonzarelli: "Correctamundo!"

[Jer]

All the agents would just get rolled into some other Federal agency.

This.

In addition you know they would increase it from 450 agents to 1,450 agents to make sure they aren't overworked and this way mistakes like the ones the ATF made can't be allowed to happen. It's an easy way to erase the well-known mistakes and employ a thousand other supporters at the same time. If you truly think they would disband the ATF and relegate all responsibilities of said agency to be moot with the stroke of a pen then you're sadly mistaken.

[Redmanfms]

Since when would the Obama administration disband ANY Federal agency? Isn't that like the Devil casting out demons?

To cover up a clear case of extraordinary criminal malfeasance. Anybody even tangentially involved in the case that might have damning knowledge of Admin. officials' involvement can be laid off and distanced.

This will be counter-balanced by hiring at other agencies to cover the former duties of the BATFE.


That said, I'm with Templar, until I see this in the lamestream, I'm not going to believe it.

I'm ignorant of how the DOJ could just "disband" any Bureau considering they were created by law. I wouldn't put it past Obama (or any President of the last half century) to just side-step Congress and do it, but I don't see how it could be done without generating an even bigger scandal.