Response from Senator Bob Corker,
Thank you for taking the time to contact my office to share your concerns about the nomination of Andrew Traver to be Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE). Your input is important to me and I appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts.
I recognize the importance of ensuring that a highly qualified and knowledgeable individual serve as Director of BATFE, which is charged with enforcing the law against some of our country's most dangerous criminals while upholding the rights of law-abiding Americans. I believe in allowing the President latitude in choosing the people he wants to work in his administration, however, I also have significant concerns with Mr. Traver's record and will carefully review the testimony from his confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Should this nomination come before the full Senate, the information you have provided will certainly help me and my staff more effectively look into this issue, and I thank you for your input.
You should know that I fully support the U.S. Supreme Court's recent landmark decisions affirming, for the first time in our nation's history, that gun ownership is an individual right protected by the Constitution that must also be respected by the states.
The right to own firearms for shooting, hunting, and self-protection is important to me as a Tennessean and as an American. I will be a consistent voice for the second amendment, and I will fight attempts to weaken those rights that are granted in the Constitution.
Please take note of the attached "Policy Points" document to learn more about the steps I have taken to protect our 2nd Amendment rights.
Thank you again for your letter. I hope you will continue to share your thoughts with me.
Anyone else get this from letter?