WASHINGTON — The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will have its first permanent leader in seven years after a bipartisan Senate vote Tuesday confirmed former federal prosecutor Steven Dettelbach for the role.
Dettelbach, President Joe Biden’s second pick to run the agency, was confirmed 48-46 with the support of two Republicans. The nomination was part of a broader effort to address gun violence amid a wave of mass shootings nationwide.
Biden has referred to Dettelbach as “immensely qualified” for the role. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, used a floor speech Tuesday to spotlight Dettelbach’s effort to prosecute violent crime, including an arson at an Ohio church, while a federal prosecutor.