Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert and Missouri Rep. Eric Burlison have introduced the “Abolish the ATF Act of 2025,” legislation aimed at dismantling the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
The bill, co-sponsored by Reps. Andy Biggs, Mike Collins, Bob Onder, Andy Ogles, Mary Miller, Keith Self, and Paul Gosar, seeks to eliminate the agency, which has faced long-standing criticism from Republicans for its regulatory approach to firearms.
The proposed legislation, introduced on January 3, is succinct, stating simply, “The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is hereby abolished.”
Rep. Boebert, a staunch Second Amendment advocate and co-chair of the Congressional Second Amendment Caucus, emphasized her commitment to defending constitutional rights in a press release:
“I cannot imagine under any circumstance or administration where the ATF serves as an ally to the Second Amendment and law-abiding firearm owners across America. The ATF should be abolished before they eventually abolish our Second Amendment.”
Rep. Burlison echoed these sentiments, calling the ATF a symbol of government overreach:
“The ATF is emblematic of the deep-state bureaucracy that believes it can infringe on constitutional liberties without consequence. If this agency cannot uphold its duty to serve the people within the framework of the Constitution, it has no place in our government.”
Rep. Boebert has sponsored and co-sponsored similar legislation in the past, continuing her efforts to curtail what she views as federal encroachments on Second Amendment rights.
The ATF, responsible for regulating firearms, explosives, and alcohol and tobacco industries, has frequently been the target of Republican criticism for what they perceive as excessive interference in gun rights. Whether this latest effort to abolish the agency gains traction in Congress remains to be seen.
