The Biden administration will withdraw the nomination of David Chipman to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after bipartisan pushback, the Washington Post reports.
Driving the news: President Biden nominated Chipman, a gun control advocate, in April to head the agency, which has not had a permanent director since 2015 and is considered a force within the federal government to combat gun violence.
- Chipman has served as a senior policy adviser at Giffords, a group led by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) that advocates for stricter gun laws.
- He previously worked for the ATF as a special agent for two decades.
State of play: Some Democratic senators, including Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.), have said they remain undecided on the nomination. Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) told the Biden administration that he was not supportive.
- Chipman faced widespread opposition from Senate Republicans, with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell calling his gun policy views “extreme” and saying he is “unsuited enough” for the role.
- The White House did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment.