Friday, 04 July 2025

Gun Rights Activists Warn About Potential Merger Of Two Agencies

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The Justice Department has taken steps to merge the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Any effort to merge the agencies would need congressional approval.

The merger could go into effect as early as October.

Per Reuters:

As part of that plan, the White House is expected to propose consolidating the budgets for both agencies when it releases its full fiscal year 2026 spending proposal, the four sources told Reuters.

Such a move would require congressional approval. Currently, the federal spending law in place explicitly states that no funds appropriated for the ATF can be transferred to other agencies or departments.

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A spokesman for the Justice Department referred questions to the White House Office of Management and Budget. A spokesperson for OMB could not be immediately reached.

The proposal to merge the ATF and DEA first surfaced in March, when Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche floated the idea in a memo that proposed a broader series of major structural changes at the Justice Department.

Pro Second Amendment groups have voiced their concern about the potential ATF-DEA merger.

“Merging is NOT abolishing, it’s a DANGEROUS Trojan Horse,” Gun Owners of America stated.

“Merging ATF with DEA isn’t abolishment—it’s an abomination. It would create a taxpayer-funded super agency to target gun owners,” the group said in another post.

“Our stance is clear: Repeal all gun control, abolish ATF,” it added.

“A superagency of gun control enforcers would undoubtedly be weaponized against the 2A rights of the People. This MUST be stopped!” it said.

“They are going to be working together. And that’s what this reorganization does,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said.

“It’s going to be a great marriage between those two agencies,” she added.

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WATCH:

“First, what we’re doing is ATF is going to be brought over with DEA,” Bondi said.

“What I tell you will not be happening is ATF agents will not be knocking on the doors of legal gun owners in the middle of the night asking them about their guns,” she continued.

“The next anti-gun administration is GUARANTEED to abuse the newly merged ATF-DEA superagency,” Gun Owners of America said.

WATCH:

From Second Amendment Foundation:

Restructuring and combing the two agencies would be a massive challenge, especially after what occurred during former-President Joe Biden’s term in office.

“During the Biden administration, I had fairly good relations with the bulk of the ATF. If there were situations where we could backchannel comms, we would do that. Under Trump, from my perspective, the vast majority of the ATF claimed it did not agree with what Biden did. His zero-tolerance position hurt them. Although they may not have been in agreement with the administration’s policies, it was prudent to insure they followed policies, or they’d be out of a job,” Clark said.

During an interview with Cam Edwards, National Shooting Sports Foundation senior vice president and general counsel Larry Keane said the NSSF strongly opposes the ATF/DEA merger. The firearms industry would be better off with “structural reforms” to the ATF instead, Keane said.

Gun Owners of America took strong issue with the merger, too.

“Merging is not abolishing,” GOA said in social media posts. “It’s a DANGEROUS Trojan Horse.”

Clark and his staff don’t want to see the ATF/DEA merger either. He has always tried to maintain partnerships with ATF’s field divisions, supporting education and compliance of ATF’s regulations, as well as their mission to maintain public safety.

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With the merger, Clark fears his good relations may end. The firearm industry is truly interested in preventing firearms from getting into the wrong hands, while maintaining strict compliance. Any change of this magnitude could cause confusion or anarchy, by requiring his staff to educate a new governmental body, Clark said.

“I’d rather keep the devil I know, rather than the devil I don’t,” he said.


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