Senate confirms ATF director, who announces new rules

The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with some Democratic backing on Wednesday, as the new director unveiled plans to roll back Biden-era firearms regulations.

Robert Cekada, shortly after being confirmed as director in a 59-39 vote on the Senate floor, appeared alongside acting Attorney General Todd Blanche at Justice Department headquarters to announce nearly three dozen notices of final and proposed rulemaking.

"In my time with ATF, I've seen how regulation creep can come in like a fog, creating vague and shifting tests and subjective interpretations that lead to inconsistent enforcement practices," Cekada said.

One proposed rule would rescind Biden administration changes that toughened regulations on firearms with stabilizing braces. Regulators acted on brace-equipped firearms after the devices were used in mass shootings.

Cekada's nomination, in the final confirmation vote, drew the support of seven senators in the Democratic Caucus.

Cekada, a longtime ATF official with a decadeslong career in law enforcement that began as a police cadet with the New York City Police Department in the early 1990s, represents a more traditional pick to head the ATF.

He was elevated last year to deputy director, a role in which he served as the agency's second-highest ranking official.

A Senate-confirmed leader could signal a more consistent future for an agency that often finds itself with a rotating cast of agency leads instead of a permanent director. The acting director role had been held by Daniel Driscoll, who is also serving as secretary of the Army. The position was previously temporarily held by FBI Director Kash Patel.

The confirmation underscores a shift in the Trump administration's approach to the agency.

Last year, the Justice Department pushed to eliminate the agency and merge its functions into the Drug Enforcement Administration while also calling for a deep cut to the ATF's budget.

Now, the Trump administration's Justice Department has not only backed off the merger proposal but embraced a new permanent director and requested the agency receive a 4% funding increase for fiscal 2027.

During the confirmation process, Cekada also criticized the latest Republican-led spending cut to the agency, saying the $40 million cut in its funding in fiscal 2026 - a 2.5% decrease - would continue a "compounded reduction in operational funding."

"These consecutive cuts compound across years, eroding core enforcement operations and markedly constraining ATF's ability to support state and local law-enforcement partners," Cekada said in a written response to lawmakers.

Still, Cekada might face an uphill battle in securing more funding from House GOP appropriators.

Under a Republican House proposal rolled out Wednesday, the ATF would receive $1.3 billion for salaries and expenses, a 17.9% cut from fiscal 2026, according to a Republican summary.

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