Republican U.S. Representatives Elise Stefanik of New York, Richard Hudson of North Carolina, and Andy Barr of Kentucky have put forth a proposal to limit the utilization of a merchant category code for monitoring firearms and ammunition sales.
The International Organization for Standardization introduced the MCC (Merchant Category Code) in September 2022. Visa, Mastercard, and American Express temporarily halted the implementation, with Hudson expressing doubts about it since the beginning.
According to a statement from Hudson, their proposal aims to counter California’s latest effort to target and monitor law-abiding gun and ammunition owners. Recently, it was revealed that American Express, Visa, and Mastercard would proceed with tracking purchases from gun stores in the state.
In a statement, Lawrence G. Keane, Senior Vice President of the National Shooting Sports Federation and General Counsel for the Firearm Industry Trade Association, expressed his concerns regarding the Biden administration’s lack of trustworthiness when it comes to respecting the private firearm transactions of law-abiding citizens. The federal agencies, without obtaining a warrant, gathered financial information on private firearm and ammunition transactions, resulting in the creation of an illegal government watchlist of gun owners. Keane emphasized the importance of Representative Elise Stefanik’s legislation in curbing federal overreach and preventing the misuse of law-abiding citizens’ private financial transactions for political purposes.
Stefanik argued that the act of tracking individuals is a direct infringement on their constitutional rights.
In a statement, she expressed her understanding and support for law-abiding gun owners who have expressed concerns about the tactics that may be used to advance the radical Left’s anti-gun agenda. She emphasized her commitment to safeguarding our Second Amendment rights as Americans and ensuring that any attempt to infringe upon our freedoms is met with strong opposition.
According to Barr, the privacy of purchases cannot be compromised. In response to this, Randy Kozuch, the interim executive director of the National Rifle Association-Institute for Legislative Action, the lobbying arm of the NRA, stated that the merchant category code assigned to firearms retailers is simply a means to monitor law-abiding gun owners.
Amalgamated Bank initiated the request to establish the code. During that time, New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta jointly sent a letter to the three major credit card companies, urging them to endorse this initiative. Additionally, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who was running for election that fall, also expressed her support for the cause.
A letter was sent by twenty-one state attorneys general to the leaders of credit card companies, urging them not to support the MCC.
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