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AP Article
By ANDREW MIGA – 09/27/2007
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan fielded some tough questions about gun laws while winning praise Wednesday at a Senate confirmation hearing to become director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Sullivan, a former Republican state legislator and district attorney in Massachusetts, was nominated by President Bush for the job in March. He has been acting director of the agency for more than a year.
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, lauded Sullivan's "distinguished career in public service."
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., introduced Sullivan at the hearing, praising both his professional abilities and his character.
"It is a job that he's proven more than qualified and capable of performing," Kerry said.
Sullivan also faced some grilling from Kennedy and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., about whether the ATF would be willing to release more gun tracing data, a move the senators said could help state and local law agencies fight gun crime.
Sullivan said there has been confusion about what data ATF could share, but he said he hopes ATF will provide more data.
"I'm optimistic that there will be even more information available than provided in the past," he said.
The ATF frequently refuses to share gun tracing information with local law enforcement investigating trends in gun crime, according to Schumer. A provision in the Justice Department's spending plan for next year prohibits ATF from releasing case-specific information to the public.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has pushed for the information, which he says will help local officials uncover dealers who sell guns that disproportionately end up in the hands of criminals.
Gun rights advocates such as the National Rifle Association, who successfully fought for the ban, said mayors want the data to sue out-of-state gun dealers. Gun rights supporters also say easing the ban could lead to the disclosure of police officers' identities to criminals.
By ANDREW MIGA – 09/27/2007
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan fielded some tough questions about gun laws while winning praise Wednesday at a Senate confirmation hearing to become director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Sullivan, a former Republican state legislator and district attorney in Massachusetts, was nominated by President Bush for the job in March. He has been acting director of the agency for more than a year.
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, lauded Sullivan's "distinguished career in public service."
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., introduced Sullivan at the hearing, praising both his professional abilities and his character.
"It is a job that he's proven more than qualified and capable of performing," Kerry said.
Sullivan also faced some grilling from Kennedy and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., about whether the ATF would be willing to release more gun tracing data, a move the senators said could help state and local law agencies fight gun crime.
Sullivan said there has been confusion about what data ATF could share, but he said he hopes ATF will provide more data.
"I'm optimistic that there will be even more information available than provided in the past," he said.
The ATF frequently refuses to share gun tracing information with local law enforcement investigating trends in gun crime, according to Schumer. A provision in the Justice Department's spending plan for next year prohibits ATF from releasing case-specific information to the public.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has pushed for the information, which he says will help local officials uncover dealers who sell guns that disproportionately end up in the hands of criminals.
Gun rights advocates such as the National Rifle Association, who successfully fought for the ban, said mayors want the data to sue out-of-state gun dealers. Gun rights supporters also say easing the ban could lead to the disclosure of police officers' identities to criminals.
