Eli Crane Questions ATF Director on Commitment to Respecting Second Amendment Rights

Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ) questioned Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) Director Robert Cekada during a recent House Oversight hearing on his commitment to upholding citizens' Second Amendment rights.

Rep. Crane asked Cekada what the Second Amendment means to him, to which Cekada said that he and the ATF under his control "respect the Second Amendment and the Constitution," and that they would only pursue those who violate the Gun Control Act.

"Do you find it notable that our Founding Fathers put the Second Amendment right after the First?" Rep. Crane questioned. "Why do you believe that our founders wanted to give the citizens the right to defend themselves?"

Cekada answered, "I think at the time in particular, the citizenry did not have a guarantee that the government would protect them, and they wanted to have the opportunity to protect themselves against a tyrannical government."

The Arizona congressman expressed satisfaction with the ATF Director's answer before asking, "Have you noticed that my Democrat colleagues today have focused on the influence and allegiances of yourself and the ATF to the [National Rifle Association], Gun Owners of America, and firearms manufacturers have on you guys?"

Cekada suggested that it was because the ATF was acting in favor of gun rights activists rather than gun control activists, and that "we should be focused on the criminals, not each other."

"We are not the people killing folks in our streets, and we are very close to solving that problem when we want to," Cekada continued. "I see it being done over and over, and I have seen it for the last 30 years: When we hold the criminals accountable, crime goes down."

Cekada noted that the Department of Justice issued a letter to all law enforcement personnel, "Telling us not to charge anyone with any statute that carries a minimum mandatory sentence, because they did not want to see anyone put in prison for a long time. That is not the way to solve crime."