[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 12, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3224-S3225]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   Nomination of Steven M. Dettelbach

  Mr. BROWN. Madam President, last week on the Fourth of July, a day 
meant to celebrate freedom and independence, we witnessed another act 
of senseless violence--this time, in the Chicago suburb of Highland 
Park.
  Yet again, more Americans have been murdered while going about their 
daily lives--this time, attending an Independence Day parade.
  Yet again, a community grieves. Yet again, we ask: How many times are 
we going to allow this to happen?
  The bipartisan gun safety bill was important--long overdue progress, 
finally.
  Today, we have the opportunity to keep up that work together and take 
another important step in protecting Americans from violent gun crimes 
by confirming a permanent ATF Director.
  I urge my colleagues to support President Biden's nominee, Steve 
Dettelbach, from Cleveland, to be Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, 
Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
  There is no better person for this role than Steve Dettelbach, a son 
of Ohio, a career public servant, with the experience and the record to 
combat violent crime and keep Americans safe.
  As U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, Steve worked with 
law enforcement, including ATF, to prosecute tough cases.
  I have known Steve Dettelbach for years. I have watched him tackle 
some of the Department of Justice's most sensitive cases--cases at the 
intersection of law enforcement and civil rights.
  He prosecuted a White supremacist who tried to burn down First Azusa 
Apostolic Faith Church, a predominantly Black church in my wife's home 
county of Ashtabula, in a community called Conneaut, OH. Steve not only 
prosecuted the man responsible, he helped create a clergy group, United 
Against Hate.
  When he prosecuted the firebombing of the largest mosque in Northwest 
Ohio, Steve, a practicing Jew, attended worship services there as a 
show of solidarity. He has lived the value of religious freedom. He has 
consistently stood up against extremism and hate.
  Steve Dettelbach understands that politics must play no role in 
running the ATF. His experience, his record bear that out. That is why 
he has broad support from across the ideological spectrum, including 
prosecutors, including law enforcement officials who understand what it 
takes to do this job.

[[Page S3225]]

  This includes law enforcement groups like NOBLE, the National 
Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives; the Hispanic American 
Police Command Officers Association; Women in Federal Law Enforcement; 
the International Association of Chiefs of Police; the Major County 
Sheriffs' Association; the National Sheriffs' Association.
  It includes more than 140 former Federal prosecutors, 8 former ATF 
Directors, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the 
association representing the men and women of the ATF.
  He has the support of civil rights organizations--the National Urban 
League, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and faith 
organizations like the Jewish Federation of North America.
  They understand that Steve is the right person to lead this vital law 
enforcement Agency.
  Following the horrific shooting in Highland Park, local law 
enforcement was able to capture the murderer so quickly because of the 
help provided by the heroes--the men and women of the ATF.
  Yet there are some out there who not only don't want an ATF Director, 
for whatever reason, they may oppose Steve Dettelbach. That is not even 
it. They want to abolish the ATF entirely. That is one stupid idea.
  You know who thinks that it is a terrible idea? Every single law 
enforcement officer who has to combat gun crimes on a daily basis. They 
know how important the ATF is, even though some fringe politicians and 
just some fringe, conspiracy-minded characters think the ATF should be 
abolished.
  Abolishing the ATF, these law enforcement officers argue, rightly--
abolishing the ATF would make our communities less safe.
  In their letter endorsing Mr. Dettelbach, the National Sheriffs' 
Association said that he would work to bring ``people together by 
working closely with state and local law enforcement to ensure that 
resources are adequately allocated to combat violent crime.''
  The sheriffs went on to write they appreciated Steve's ``goal of 
being a value-add to local law enforcement by not only adding resources 
to urban areas, but rural as well.''
  Rural crime and rural terrorism and rural--abuses like that are just 
as likely in rural areas as cities.

       Mr. Dettelbach has emphasized the importance of ``boots on 
     the ground'' task forces and pledged to provide forensic help 
     to local law enforcement at crime scenes.

  Sadly, our local law enforcement personnel need this help. 
Fortunately, the ATF, with Steve Dettelbach, I hope, confirmed and soon 
at the helm, will be there to provide that help.
  I can think of no better way to support law enforcement, to reject 
hate, to keep Americans safe from violent crime than for the Senate to 
confirm Steve Dettelbach ATF Director.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting his confirmation.
  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, today, the Senate will vote on Steve 
Dettelbach's nomination to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, 
Firearms, and Explosives--better known as ATF.
  As I said on the floor yesterday, after describing in horrifying 
detail the mass shooting in Highland Park on the Fourth of July, we 
need a confirmed ATF Director now more than ever.
  When a mass shooter tears apart a community like Highland Park, IL--
or Buffalo, NY--ATF agents are among the first to arrive on scene. In 
fact, in the hours following the attack in Highland Park, it was ATF 
agents who traced the firearm belonging to the confessed shooter. Their 
investigate work was described by local authorities in Lake County as 
``phenomenal.'' I couldn't agree more.
  The least we can do to support these heroic agents is confirm a 
proven leader to head the ATF, which has gone 7 years without a Senate-
confirmed Director.
  Our country and our communities deserve better. They deserve an ATF 
that is fully equipped to respond on our Nation's darkest days--and to 
enforce the laws on the books to prevent these tragedies in the first 
place.
  And Steve Dettelbach is exactly the right leader for this challenge. 
He is a career prosecutor with decades of experience fighting crime, 
religion-motivated violence, gun trafficking, and he is a proven 
consensus-builder with bipartisan support.
  The vote on Mr. Dettelbach's nomination is not about a new policy or 
regulation; it is about enforcing the laws that already exist, and 
respecting the men and women of ATF who deserve Senate-confirmed 
leadership. This vote is a pragmatic step all of us can take toward 
making our communities safer.
  Guns are now the leading cause of death for American children. And we 
have more than one mass shooting per day in America. In the wake of 
Highland Park, Uvalde, Buffalo, and too many tragedies across America, 
it is clear that we need experienced and dedicated law enforcement 
leadership in agencies like ATF. I hope my colleagues will join me in 
supporting Mr. Dettelbach.