Feinstein Speaks on Uvalde School Shooting with ATF Director Nominee

Washington-Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today spoke at a Judiciary Committee hearing with President Biden's nominee to serve as ATF Director, Steven Dettelbach, regarding yesterday's tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

"We know what protections work to stop these killings. For example, in the 10 years that the Assault Weapons Ban was in place, gun massacres dropped 37 percent. After the ban lapsed in 2004, gun massacres rose by 183 percent. There is simply no reason that average citizens need weapons of war to go about their daily lives.

"This is especially true of teenagers. The shooters in both Texas and New York weren't old enough to buy a beer, but they were able to buy an assault weapon. That's why I recently introduced the Age 21 Act along with several of my colleagues. The bill would fix this disparity by limiting a teenager's ability to buy assault weapons."

Full transcript of their exchange is available below. Video is available here.

Senator Dianne Feinstein:

"Just yesterday, the country watched as once again nearly 20 children were slaughtered in their classrooms in Texas. This was the 27th school shooting this year. And it comes just eight days after 10 people were slaughtered in Buffalo, New York, while shopping for groceries.

"In both cases the shooter was a teenager with an assault weapon.

"There have been more than 200 mass shootings this year, more than one per day. And this really breaks my heart, and it is simply unacceptable. We know what we need to do to stop this violence, but time and time again we have failed to do it.

"We know what protections work to stop these killings. For example, in the 10 years that the Assault Weapons Ban was in place, gun massacres dropped 37 percent. After the ban lapsed in 2004, gun massacres rose by 183 percent. There is simply no reason that average citizens need weapons of war to go about their daily lives.

"This is especially true of teenagers. The shooters in both Texas and New York weren't old enough to buy a beer, but they were able to buy an assault weapon. That's why I recently introduced the Age 21 Act along with several of my colleagues. The bill would fix this disparity by limiting a teenager's ability to buy assault weapons.

"We seem to lack the will even to keep weapons away from those who we know are dangerous. Laws allowing gun restrictions to be placed on individuals who pose an extreme risk to the safety of others - as determined by a judge analyzing the facts in each case - face substantial opposition. And our domestic violence laws are riddled with loopholes that make it all too simple for people we know to be violent to possess weapons.

"Yet rather than taking action, all we have done, time and time again, is to try to console the victims of these senseless tragedies and wait for the next inevitable attack.

"And we know that it will come. Just one year ago, this committee considered another nominee to serve as ATF Director. The morning of that nominee's hearing, a gunman in San Jose, California, opened fire on a mass transit facility and killed 10 people.

"And here we are again, considering another nominee to serve as ATF director, less than 24 hours after a mass shooting. Mr. Dettelbach, the role to which you have been nominated is an incredibly important one.

"Mr. Dettelbach, I understand you have firsthand experience working to protect and support the victims of gun violence and their families from your time as a federal prosecutor. How has this experience informed your career, and how will you work to consider the victims of gun violence and their families as you carry out the ATF's enforcement mission, if you are confirmed?"

Steven Dettelbach:

"Well senator, I think most prosecutors would answer this question in the same way, which is when you graduate law school, the law is in the books. When you become a prosecutor and you interact with victims and survivors who have experienced incredible loss, it becomes a part of you. And it never leaves you.

"I know this morning, I got a text from a woman who was a victim in an ATF case that our office did, it was a horrible arson actually, where eight children were killed. And those relationships and that experience never leaves you, and it will never leave me in trying to work with law enforcement to enforce the law and remove dangerous criminals from our community."

Senator Feinstein:

"Will you commit to this committee that you will be strong on this issue?"

Steven Dettelbach:

"Senator, I will commit to this committee that I will be a law enforcement enforcer who is very strong."

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