Over 100 Congressmen Request DOJ’s Intervention In ATF’s eForm 1’s Application Policy Change
In June this year, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) changed its eForm 1 application policy. The agency forbade the use of third parties ’ assistance in filling the forms.
ATF claims that it cannot authenticate people’s electronic signatures and certifications, hence redesigning the electronic forms. Nevertheless, many organizations, including banks and government agencies, still rely on the same electronic signatures to conduct business. Additionally, third-parties assist taxpayers in more sensitive activities such as filing tax returns.
The policy change made the application process more confusing and error-prone. Applicants would spend more time and make many errors, hence increasing the time it takes for their application to be approved. The ATF would also spend more time and resources validating the same erroneous forms and subsequent re-applications. The result is chaos, frustrations, and delays – a deliberate attempt to impose disguised gun control.
The policy change forced 110 members of Congress to request DOJ’s intervention and clarification on how third parties could continue assisting Americans in filling their eForm 1’s.
The letter indicated that the ATF had acknowledged the importance of third-party assistance in filling the application forms.
“ATF has previously acknowledged the important contributions third-party processors provide to the NFA’s eForms submission process and has assured third-party processors that they will work collaboratively on the next iteration of the eForms system,” the letter reads.
They reminded the DOJ that third-parties’ assistance in eForm 1’s applications was beneficial to the ATF and applicants.
“Allowing these companies to continue serving the public only simplifies the submission process, provides an important level of quality control, and helps taxpayers overcome technical instability and scaling issues with ATF’s current e-filing system,” the letter adds.
Unfortunately, the ATF is not interested in taking advantage of these benefits. Given the string of bad decisions originating from the ATF, the decision to ban third-party assistance was a deliberate attempt to complicate the process.
All this talk about being the most pro-gun administration is noise if it can’t get its own ATF in line. Ideally, the ATF and every gun control law passed since the enactment of the NFA must go. Alas, we live in a time where such prospects seem like a pipe dream. But we must start somewhere.
To get the conversation started, I ask that you sign your Lone Star Gun Rights petition condemning the ATF’s unilateral classification of the Honey Badger pistol as a short-barreled rifle. Every signature counts in getting the Trump administration to recognize that its ATF is totally out of control.
Once you’re done with that, please consider joining LSGR to help us fight gun grabs at all levels of government. We’re going to need all the help we can get.
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