Opinion
WASHINGTON, D.C. – NSSF, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, hails the introduction of the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), which would ban the use of a firearm retailer-specific Merchant Category Code (MCC).
The legislation would protect the Second Amendment privacy of firearm and ammunition purchasers from financial service and payment card providers compiling purchase history that has already proven to be exploited by the federal government for political purposes.
The U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) admitted to U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in a letter that it violated the Fourth Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens that protect against illegal search and seizure when it collected the credit card purchase history from banks and credit card companies of individuals who purchased firearms and ammunition in the days surrounding Jan. 6, 2020.
Treasury’s FinCEN had no cause and sought the information, without a warrant, to place these law-abiding citizens on a government watchlist only because they exercised their Second Amendment rights to lawfully purchase firearms and ammunition.
“The Biden administration has already proven they cannot be trusted to respect the private firearm transactions of law-abiding citizens. Without a warrant, federal agencies collected financial information on private firearm and ammunition transactions to create an illegal government watchlist of gun owners,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President & General Counsel.
“Representative Elise Stefanik’s legislation would rein in federal overreach to use the private financial transactions of law-abiding citizens against them for political means. No American should be concerned that the federal government is employing this scheme, concocted by gun control cheerleaders, that weaponizes an individual’s finances and their free exercise of Second Amendment rights to wrongly identify them as a criminal-in-waiting. NSSF thanks Representative Stefanik for her principled leadership to stand up for Constitutionally-protected rights and against special interests and big government lawmakers whose goal it is to monitor and deny lawful transactions, by law-abiding Americans.”
The need for a federal policy has become necessary since several states have enacted similar legislation to protect the privacy of firearm and ammunition purchasers, including Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Texas and West Virginia.
Several additional states are currently considering similar legislation. California enacted legislation last year requiring the use of a firearm retailer-specific MCC and Colorado is considering legislation that would do the same.
About The National Shooting Sports Foundation
NSSF is the trade association for the firearm industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearm retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations, and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org
Why do we need a law to prevent the government from doing what it is ALREADY PREVENTED from doing? And how will this be enforced any better than the 4th amendment? The corrupt jackass authoritarians will break any laws they like, and will never be held accountable by fellow gov sloths. They will only be held responsible and punished by the People, if they finally grow a spine and stand up for themselves and their rights.
Tomorrow I am getting powder and projectiles from Natchez which is requiring a signature because “it is a Hazardous Material” that I am buying. Tell me, is acid a hazardous material? Is airplane fuel for a cox 049 a hazardous material? Is airplane glue a hazardous material? Is the battery for your cell phone a hazardous material? I’ve never had to sign anything because I was accepting a hazardous material. I wonder if Natchez is tracking this for the federal government because it is gun powder and for no other reason. It’s Bovine Excrement. Never had to sign for any… Read more »
This TYRANNICAL Soetoro-0bama / Biden REGIME has been using COMMUNISTIC MANEUVERS for a LONG, LONG time. ALL of this “governmental OVERREACH” MUST be curtailed — IMMEDIATELY!! ALL those Politicians who are INVOLVED with this OVERREACH MUST FACE THE MUSIC!!