WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today released the following statement applauding the Senate’s bipartisan vote to confirm Steve Dettelbach as the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). King previously backed Dettelbach’s confirmation in May.

“The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is a vital law enforcement agency that keeps Americans safe from some of our nation’s most dangerous threats. Today, the Senate confirmed the ATF’s first permanent director since 2015, an important step to help the Bureau protect our country,” said Senator King. “As communities across our country grapple with the unimaginable pain and devastation of gun violence, the need for a non-partisan, well-qualified, and widely respected law enforcement officer leading the ATF could not be more clear. After meeting with Steve Dettelbach and carefully reviewing his record, I’m confident he meets this moment, and that he understands the critical task of taking on gun violence while protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. I’m glad the Senate was able to confirm Mr. Dettelbach on a bipartisan basis, and look forward to working with him and the hardworking men and women at the ATF to keep Maine people safe.”

Representing a state with a long heritage of responsible gun ownership, Senator King has worked to take on America’s gun violence epidemic while respecting Second Amendment rights. He recently celebrated the Senate’s passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, gun safety legislation he cosponsored that will address the gun violence epidemic while protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans. King was one of twenty Senators who announced the framework of the bill.