The Senate voted 48 to 46 to approve former U.S. attorney Steven Dettelbach to lead the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, making him the first confirmed head of the agency in seven years.
Republicans Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Rob Portman of Ohio joined with Senate Democrats to approve Dettelbach’s nomination.
“While certainly not a panacea to the gun violence epidemic plaguing our nation, having Mr. Dettelbach at the helm of the ATF will ensure the feds have all hands on deck in the fight to stop gun trafficking, prevent illegal possession of firearms, and make sure our kids can’t get their hands on dangerous weapons,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said after the vote.
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