A group of Democratic lawmakers from the U.S. House and Senate have written to the chief executives of American Express, Mastercard, and Visa, advising the credit card companies to begin monitoring Americans’ gun purchases.
Led by Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Dianne Feinstein, the Democrats’ letter applies pressure to the companies for creation of special categories for guns and ammunition, rather than having them in the “miscellaneous retail stores” category. The credit card companies could then help police “preempt some mass shootings.”
“Banks and credit card companies could help law enforcement preempt some mass shootings by identifying suspicious gun purchases through the implementation of a new MCC,” the lawmakers wrote. “MCCs are four-digit codes maintained by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that classify merchants by their purpose of business.”
The creation of a new category for gun and ammunition retail stores would then aide law enforcement in compiling financial data and monitoring “suspicious activities,” such as surrogates buying guns for others, or “straw purchases.”
“The creation of a new MCC for gun and ammunition retail stores would be the first step towards facilitating the collection of valuable financial data that could help law enforcement in countering the financing of terrorism efforts,” the lawmakers said. “A new MCC code could make it easier for financial institutions to monitor certain types of suspicious activities including straw purchases and unlawful bulk purchases that could be used in the commission of domestic terrorist acts or gun trafficking schemes. Such coordination between financial institutions and law enforcement has been instrumental in efforts across the federal government to identify and prevent illicit activity.”
The purchase of guns is constitutionally protected, but the Democrats in the House and Senate seek to erode that right. Critics note that actual criminals will quickly learn that they can’t use credit cards for these types of purchases. The people who would be caught up in flagged transactions will be law-abiding citizens.
I buy and sell all my firearms with gold….no cash, no cards no checks (of any kind)
The leftists will push for legalizing recreational drugs because people are adult and responsible enough to use them in a law abiding manner similar to alcohol.
They will simultaneously push for restrictive gun control laws because people are NOT adult and responsible enough to use them in a law abiding manner.
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The first position is because drugs are a way for the government to control the people.
The second position is because guns are a way for people to control the government.
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Vote and act accordingly.
I hope the credit card companies told them to go pound sand.
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If democrats want to preempt mass shootings, perhaps they could begin by … not letting violent criminals back on the streets just hours after being arrested. Just a thought.
They did not. The international standard organization (ISO) located in Switzerland and partnered with the US based nonprofit ANSI teamed up to introduce standards without any US legislation to make this a new standard going forward.
All it took was the governor of NY and Elizabeth Warren from MA to tweet boiler plate complaints to make it a binding standard for all credit card companies.
The left fears guns like nothing else. They know that the only thing that stands between them and total tyrannical rule over the average American is an armed America. We must never let them have them.
They’ll never stop until we’re disarmed.
Bet the Squad would love to get Mary P to sign on to that.
She won’t. She hails from hunters.
Communist.
They have no legislative need to know anything I purchase. Period.
How would spying on credit card sales identify straw purchases or potential mass murderers? This is the same nonsensical claptrap that was promulgated back in the ’60’s.
It won’t, but people who get all their information about buying guns from TV think it will.
Feinstein has reliably demonstrated that she has become as demented and befuddled as President Brandon.
Warren, in my opinion, is just flat crazy.
Neither has any concept of “shall not be infringed”.
Infringement is exactly the intent of this back-door registration of firearms, and is unconstitutional.
Doesn’t surprise me. With all of the “misinformation” accredited to “enemies” or anyone who opposes the dems, this is the final nail in the coffin for real democracy and freedom in this country, and it applies to the dems, not the Republicans they keep inciting the public through their captive media to hate. When will the public finally wake up and quit voting for these dictator “wanna-bes”? People in Alaska who think Gara and Walker are different should just look at the mess created by their democratic friends in the lower 48 and then vote accordingly for a man who got rid of the hated SB 91 that Walker had foisted on Alaska when he was governor before Dunleavy.
Sheila: May I point out that some “misinformation” came from the Trump administration about the outcome of the election and that misinformation encouraged enemies of freedom and democracy to nearly murder the Vice President and the Speaker of the House while trying to destroy the founding document of our country. Were it not for Pence being willing to do his job, the domestic terrorists would have pounded the final nail in the coffin.
More trash talk about the supposed “ insurrection” !! Where are the indictments?, where are the convictions? For those supposed insurrectionists ? Go tell your imagined stories to a more believing audience than here in Alaska where people have enough discernment to recognize a fable from the truth!!
The ZJ Loussac’s free internet system is now closed, Lucy. Time to get back in your tent. Maybe someone will listen to your dreck tomorrow.
Unlawful bulk purchases of guns or ammo? What is defined by “bulk purchase” More than four or five or six boxes of ammo? Right now, stores are self limiting purchases due to ammo shortages already. For example: “Due to increased demand, Bass Pro Shop and Cabela’s is limiting pistol ammunition that can be purchased to 5 boxes per item.” Be glad you don’t live in these areas: “Ammunition is restricted from sale to CT, IL, MA, NJ, NY, RI, New Orleans, LA, and Washington DC.”
Just pay with cash for all gun and ammo purchases. No credit/debit card flagging triggered should the companies bend to the democrats will and develop a specific code for these transactions.
The FBI background checks and firearm registry is still there.
MRAK fails to mention that government acquiring banking information requires a court order, for example Donald Trump has used lawyers to hide his banking information from the governmnet for many years. The law and order conservatives should have no qualms about investigating criminals, or acquiring banking information in criminal investigations
Are you sure?
Remember when a wiretap required a warrant, but then the 0bama administration abused the Patriot act to listen to ALL electronic communications? I do.
To the conservatives, “law and order” is a TV show plus a fundraising talking point. Its a malleable and strategically useful concept. Tough on crime fist pounding works to oppose pissed off antifa members, but for white Republicans accused of, say, stealing classified national security documents, conservatives support a softer approach, like all of us “moving forward”.
So where will Mary Peltola stand on matters and issues of this sort? Congressman Young was a long-time member of the NRA Board of Directors right to the day he passed. Has Mary Peltola ever been an advocate for the Second Amendment?
Whenever Mary Peltola spoke about firearms during the debates this year she seemed to believe the Second Amendment is about subsistence hunting. In Canada the federal government seems to be rapidly headed toward a country with no privately owned handguns, and limiting ownership of rifles and shotguns to First Nations people. Many Canadians tell me they cannot even legally carry pocket knives right now unless they have some specific reason such as needing a pocket knife for work, or if they are headed fishing.
No good people’s dictatorship allows an armed populace. Safety is paramount. Cuba is safe, and China is safe — safe for all, unless you are found by the secret police to be a deplorable or a semi-fascist. Or maybe you have the dangerous belief that God rules over human affairs, rather than the Party. Oh, elections are always legitimate in those nations, too. Never any hanky-panky with the ballots. Just ask Stalin, Castro, Mugabe, Xi. And turn in those firearms and ammo at once, or face ten-twenty years in the camps; you no longer need a gun because the glorious revolution has succeeded in bringing peace and safety to all. Power to the mob… er, I mean ‘the people.’
Companies or banks are not agents of the Goverment
Not under fascism, Greg — which is precisely what we effectively live under today in the USA.
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Your statement is woefully naive and almost completely divorced from reality.
I thought we were living under communism. Which is it Jefferson?
The weapons they don’t want Americans to have are being sold to Americans enemies in drug and weapons running by the boatload. How does that “keep us safe” though.
Frank: I guess you never heard of the Banking Secrecy Act? No court order is required for banks to divulge information any longer.
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