Biden announces new ATF nominee, who like others faces nearly impossible Senate confirmation process

President Biden on Monday nominating an attorney from the Obama administration, in which he served as vice president, to to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Biden made the expected announcement at a White House Rose Garden ceremony that his new nominee will be Steve Dettlebach, who served as a U.S. attorney in Ohio from 2009 to 2016, according to the Associated Press. 

"Steve's record makes him ready on day one to lead this agency," Biden said. "And by the way, in 2009, the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed him to serve as U.S. Attorney."

Dettlebach's confirmation is likely to be challenge for the Biden administration, after the president already had to withdraw his first nominee, David Chipman, whose nomination was stalled over bipartisan opposition to gun-control advocacy.

Republican and Democratic administrations have failed to get ATFs nominee through the Senate's highly partisan process since the director’s position was made confirmable in 2006, the wire service also reports.

Since then, only one nominee, former U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones, has been confirmed, in 2013, in what was a six-month process.

Jones was acting director when President Obama nominated him in January 2013, the Associated Press also reports.