President Joe Biden's administration has just over a week remaining. That means ATF director Steve Dettelbach has about the same length of time left on his tenure.

Then, President Donald Trump will take office, clean house to some degree or another, and things will be different. The new administration will have different priorities, especially on issues like guns.

Yet that doesn't seem to be stopping the current administration from trying to roll out as many new rules as humanly possible. Biden's time is done, but he's clearly trying to do as much damage as possible on his way out the door.

Dettelbach is likely more than willing to cooperate in that effort.

However, now a group of senators have sent a letter basically telling him to not even think about it.

Dear Director Dettelbach: 

We write to strongly encourage the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to firmly commit to and focus on preparing for the transition to the incoming Administration of President-elect Donald J. Trump. The incoming Administration, including our next Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, and ATF Director, must have the opportunity and ability to set ATF’s priorities and future direction. ATF’s ability to achieve its statutory mission of combatting violent crime depends on a smooth and effective transition.

Toward that end, we recommend and urge that ATF suspend and refrain from issuing any further rulemaking, ATF Rulings, open letters to the industry or other publications or reports (including academic research reports) except reports generated in direct support of specific criminal investigations, from making formal recommendations to Congress, launching any new regulatory initiatives or changing any policies, or reorganizing the organizational structure of ATF. Any new policy initiatives undertaken at this late stage will only create instability and detract from the transition and ATF’s focus on its primary mission. This recommendation should not be interpreted to suggest ATF not continue to provide ordinary regulatory support to the industry, such as issuing federal firearm or explosives licenses, import permits, or National Firearms Act forms. 

During this transition period it remains imperative ATF remain focused on its primary mission of combatting violent crime, which we know it will. 

We thank you for your service as ATF Director and look forward to receiving your continued cooperation during the transition. 

The letter is signed by Senators John Cornyn, Cynthia Loomis, Tom Tillis, Katie Boyd Britt, James Risch, Ted Cruz, and Kevin Cramer.

The letter doesn't ask that the ATF from doing its job, only to refrain from enacting any new rules or anything that could be used to create rules via some other mechanism, basically.

Instead, it asks the ATF to focus on violent crime, which is really all it should be concerned about as a general thing, but especially since we're about to experience such a profound shift in leadership priorities in less than two weeks.

Now, will Dettelbach listen? That remains to be seen. While he's a lame-duck director, there's no reason he has to act like it under the law. If there were, the senators wouldn't have sent the letter in the first place. 

However, on the same token, anything he tries to implement now can be undone by the next director, especially if President Trump can get his nominee through the confirmation process.