According to Fox news
Some House Republicans are pushing a resolution to impeach David Chipman, President Biden’s nominee to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) – even before he’s been confirmed by the Senate.
The effort, which is more political messaging than anything, is led by Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont. It comes as at least five moderate Democrats remain undecided on the controversial nominee with a history of working for major gun control groups, and as the timing for Chipman’s final confirmation remains unclear.
The White House and a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday about when the Chipman nomination could be brought up for a vote. This is despite the fact that Chipman advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote nearly a month ago.
“The confirmation of David Chipman to the ATF would be a direct threat to the second amendment rights of Americans and the rule of law,” Rosendale said in a statement about his impeachment resolution. “Not only has Chipman previously given false testimony to Congress, but his statements on gun-control are evidence that his confirmation would be a failure to support and defend our constitutional rights. If appointed, both are impeachable offenses and worthy of Congress to consider his removal.”
The impeachment resolution includes two articles, one alleging that Chipman has failed to “support and defend” the Second Amendment and thus the Constitution, and a second alleging that he lied to Congress when he denied allegations that he lost his service weapon as an ATF agent.
Senators have inquired whether Chipman ever lost his service weapon, and at least one staffer has said that their office has received information contradicting Chipman’s denials. But the claims that Chipman lost his service weapon are still unverified, and the ATF told Fox News previously that there is no record of Chipman ever losing track of his gun.
The impeachment resolution has 11 Republican co-sponsors in addition to Rosendale: Reps. Bob Good, R-Va.; Jeff Duncan, R-S.C.; Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.; Ralph Norman, R-S.C.; Jody Hice, R-Ga.; Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn.; Scott Perry, R-Pa.; Alex Mooney, R-W.Va.; Andy Harris, R-Md.; Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.; and Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.
The resolution almost certainly will never be seriously considered by the Democrat-controlled House, and is unlikely to gain traction with even a large portion of the Republican conference. But it underscores the staunch GOP opposition to Chipman from Republicans – a sentiment that is not just limited to firebrand conservatives.
Moderate Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, came out against Chipman’s confirmation weeks ago, calling him “unusually divisive” and saying he’s “made statements that demean law-abiding gun owners.”