On Tuesday, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee grilled agency leaders over the budgets of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
At the hearing, Robert Cekada, Director of the ATF, appeared alongside FBI Director Kash Patel, DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole, and U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces S. Serralta. Cekada’s testimony was described as more routine and less contentious than Patel’s. He expressed appreciation for the budget’s maintenance of current services while noting limitations on expansion.
The ATF is requesting $1.652 billion in funding for salaries and expenses. The ATF has 4,749 full-time employees (FTEs). The ATF has added 89 more FTEs compared with previous years. They are asking for $67 million more than the FY2026 budget, which Congress cut by $40 million. The ATF’s request aims to reverse last year’s cuts and enhance the Bureau’s core operations.
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee asked Director Cekada what the budget will be used for. He highlighted several of the ATF’s new priorities. He stated that his first priority is to reduce violent crime. Director Cekada said the Bureau will focus on illegal firearms trafficking, straw purchases, and gun violence. He said the ATF will especially focus on partnerships with local and state law enforcement.
The second priority highlighted by Director Cekada is expanding “crime gun intelligence.” These tools include the NIBIN (National Integrated Ballistic Information Network) and eTrace. The Director also highlighted partnerships with institutions of higher education, such as Wichita State University. These partnerships give pause to some in the gun community who highlight the exploitation of respected universities such as Johns Hopkins University by anti-gun groups.
Piggybacking on the ATF’s first priority, Cekada said the Bureau will concentrate on supporting state and local partners. According to the ATF, prior budget cuts to the agency strained these relationships and prevented the ATF from helping these law enforcement agencies as much as they would like. He pledged not to use these funds to burden law-abiding gun owners.
This notion of not targeting the average gun owner is a welcome change from the ATF of previous presidential administrations.
Another area where the Director said the budget will be used is countering illegal explosives, arson investigations, and regulatory oversight, while emphasizing Second Amendment protections. The ATF recently issued 34 new rules to lighten the burden on the gun industry and the American gun owner. These rules included allowing firearms to be shipped to gun buyers’ doors, repealing the pistol brace rule, and simplifying the Firearms Transaction Form (ATF Form 4473).
It was also highlighted that the ATF has redirected personnel to immigration enforcement. The ATF claims that over 1,000 agents have been reassigned to help with immigration enforcement. Democratic Senators pushed back on the reallocation of these resources, claiming that the reassignments diverted from the ATF’s original mission of dealing with firearms.
Overall, Director Cekada emphasized his support for the requested budget. He believes the increase is needed to expand the agency’s capacity for traditional law enforcement missions in line with the Trump administration’s priorities.
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About John Crump
Mr. Crump is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people from all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons, follow him on X at @right2bear, or at www.crumpy.com.
