Senate confirms ATF director, who announces new rules

Source: Roll Call

Posted April 29, 2026 at 9:19pm


The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with some Democratic backing on Wednesday, as the new director unveiled plans to roll back Biden-era firearms regulations.

Robert Cekada, shortly after being confirmed as director in a 59-39 vote on the Senate floor, appeared alongside acting Attorney General Todd Blanche at Justice Department headquarters to announce nearly three dozen notices of final and proposed rulemaking. “In my time with ATF, I’ve seen how regulation creep can come in like a fog, creating vague and shifting tests and subjective interpretations that lead to inconsistent enforcement practices,” Cekada said.

One proposed rule would rescind Biden administration changes that toughened regulations on firearms with stabilizing braces. Regulators acted on brace-equipped firearms after the devices were used in mass shootings. Cekada’s nomination, in the final confirmation vote, drew the support of seven senators in the Democratic Caucus.

Cekada, a longtime ATF official with a decadeslong career in law enforcement that began as a police cadet with the New York City Police Department in the early 1990s, represents a more traditional pick to head the ATF.

Read more: https://rollcall.com/2026/04/29/senate-confirms-atf-director-who-announces-new-rules/