WASHINGTON: The White House, faces the opposition from the Republic of Parliament and several Democrats, plans to attract candidates to lead the agency that enacted arms law, US media reported on Thursday.
David Chipman has been nominated by President Joe Biden to lead the 5,000 alcohol bureau, tobacco, firearms and explosives (ATF).
Chipman, a former special agent with ATF, has worked as an advisor for a weapons control group since leaving the bureau.
He was nominated by Biden, an advocate of a more stringent arms control, in April to serve as ATF director, a post that was subject to confirmation by the Senate.
But a number of republik senators have announced their opposition to nominations and have been trapped in the committee.
According to The Washington Post, some Democrats the Senate has also “expressed personal concern” about Chipman and it is not clear that he will receive 51 votes needed to confirm.
Minority leader of the Senate Republic of Mitch McConnell said he was “nice to hear the report, the White House took my advice and pulled the terrible nomination of David Chipman”.
“Absurd that opponent vocals of American constitutional rights have been picked to run ATF,” McConnell said.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas also welcomed the report that Chipman’s nomination was being withdrawn.
“David Chipman is a reformatic and uncertain anti-gun radical to ban almost every sports rifle in America,” Cotton said.
“He is completely not worthy of running ATF.” The National Rifle Association, a strong pro-gun lobby, tweeted that Chipman’s withdrawal is “a big victory for our members and legal obedient weapons owners.” There was no direct confirmation from the White House that Chipman’s nomination was withdrawn.
There are more than 30,000 weapons deaths in the United States this year, according to Archives of Weapons Violence.