Mobuck
"Only about 10% of the stamps I received from 2017 submissions have taken longer than eight months."
In my case, 100% have taken more than 8 months.
How many NFA transfers do you do a year?
I've received sixty six stamps so far this year.
"ATF doesn't approve its own budget, Congress does."
Maybe they should resell some of the Fast and Furious guns to gain some funds.
Do you really think government agencies get to keep the monies they seize, monies derived from fines or from their gun sales?
I suppose you also believe ATF gets to keep the $200 derived from the tax stamp? If so you need to do five minutes of research on where the money goes.
"ATF doesn't approve its own budget, Congress does."
Since you seem to know so much about BATF, please tell us if the agency has ever asked for more funding specifically for the processing of NFA stamps. If you can't show us that such funding was specifically refused your arguments are a bit thin.
I know a bit about the ATF because it's in my best interest to know....I'm a gun dealer. I also know a bit about how the Congress budget process works because it was covered in high school and I read the newspaper. Why do you think every President begs for a line item veto power? Congress isn't about to let the President (whether Republican or Democrat) have that power. Congress worries about Congressmen.
I didn't claim that ATF had previous requests denied. In fact, it's only been within the last four years that processing times for NFA forms has taken more than a few months and that it became an issue. The volume of NFA form submissions for the first half of 2016 exceeded the total number of forms for all of 2008-2011.
You should know that.
I'm sure every Federal agency has a wish list of projects and programs that they wish to be funded. But they don't just submit a dollar amount and get it. You should know that.
You want to see an ATF request that has been denied by Congress?
Although Federal law provides a means for the relief of firearms disabilities (for prohibited persons), since October 1992, ATF’s annual appropriation has prohibited the expending of any funds to investigate or act upon applications for relief from Federal firearms disabilities submitted by individuals.
Your Congress at work.
, one nice lady did say they ended up with a 1- 14 month backlog last july when the rules changed, and the number of submissions they have received since is very small. To wit as of a couple of weeks ago they were working on August 2017 submissions, and likely will start completing about a month's submissions in about 1-2 weeks. So there is hope on it speeding up but I wouldn't expect it this calendar year.