President Joe Biden’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) called on bitter ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends to turn in any former partners who are “involved in illegal gun activity” in a bizarre Valentine’s Day post on Twitter.
“Valentine’s Day can still be fun even if you broke up. Do you have information about a former (or current) partner involved in illegal gun activity? Let us know, and we will make sure it’s a Valentine’s Day to remember! Call 1-888-ATF-TIPS or email [email protected],” the ATF tweeted.
The post comes weeks after the agency admitted in a letter to Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX) that it has a database of nearly one billion firearm purchase records, prompting concerns that the Biden administration is creating an illegal federal firearm registry.
In the letter dated December last year, the ATF revealed it has 920,664,765 firearm purchase records. Under the Gun Control Act of 1968, gun stores that close down are required to turn over to the ATF the private records of gun transactions, which are subsequently stored at a federal location in West Virginia. Now, gun advocacy groups say that information is being used by the federal government to create a national gun owners’ database, which is prohibited under U.S. law.
“A federal firearm registry is explicitly banned by law. Yet, the Biden administration is again circumventing Congress and enabling the notably corrupt ATF to manage a database of nearly a billion gun transfer records,” Cloud told the Free Beacon last month.
“Under the president’s watch, the ATF has increased surveillance on American gun owners at an abhorrent level,” he continued. “The Biden administration continues to empower criminals and foreign nationals while threatening the rights of law-abiding Americans. It’s shameful and this administration should reconsider its continued attacks on American gun owners.”
Aidan Johnston, director of federal affairs for Gun Owners of America, warned the database is the Biden administration’s path toward creating a national gun registry.
“Make no mistake—this is clear evidence that a partial national gun registry exists,” Johnston said. “If the American people don’t stand up for their rights now, Biden’s anti-gun ATF will be able to track gun owners, infringe on our rights, and potentially even confiscate our firearms.”
In November, 51 GOP lawmakers expressed concern over a potential ATF rule that would allow the agency to create a gun registry by circumventing current laws that prevent it.
The new rule being considered would force federal firearms licensees to keep firearm purchase records forever. Current regulations allow licensees to delete records at the 20-year mark.
