Democrats Warren, Menendez Want New Merchant Category For Gun Sales

Elizabeth Warren and Bob Menendez are duly elected lawmakers, right? Shouldn’t it be their job to pass legislation, rather than asking the Executive Branch to make a new regulation?

US Senators Menendez, Warren urge regulators to support new gun sale code

U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday called on federal regulators to issue guidance to speed the adoption of a new merchant category code (MCC) by payment networks to identify firearms sellers.

The letter will add fuel to a debate over the new codes, approved by the Geneva-based International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in September to help detect suspicious firearms and ammunition sales to combat gun violence.

Their implementation was paused by major payment networks including Visa Inc and Mastercard Inc last week. The companies cited opposition from Republican politicians working to pass state laws to limit the codes’ use. The Republicans say the codes could be used to improperly track gun purchases.

The MCC would identify the type of store where a consumer shopped, though not the individual items they bought.

The code would not be used to identify firearms sellers, because few are going to be selling weapons illegally while using credit/debit cards. It would be used to track citizens who legally purchase firearms legally, with that data essentially going to government. This is government tracking your lawful purchases.

In a letter seen by Reuters the two senators, longtime supporters of gun-control efforts, and other Democrats called on U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Attorney General Merrick Garland to “quickly publish any policy advisory, enforcement guidance, and other materials needed by financial institutions, retailers, and law enforcement as the new MCC code is implemented for gun and ammunition stores.”

The letter noted reports that mass shooters had used credit or debit cards to buy the guns and ammunition they used.

Yes, they purchased them legally. What would tracking purchases do? It would not have stopped the wackjobs, but, it would let government know what firearms you purchased if they decide to come after them. It’s about compiling a database. And you know that this will also track ammunition purchases. What will happen, if the credit card companies comply, is that law abiding citizens will simply pay with cash.

Implementing this code will do virtually nothing to reduce people using firearms illegally. It won’t stop the gangbangers in Chicago, it won’t stop the people shooting each other over being “disrespected”, and it won’t even stop a wackjob planning on a mass shooting. This is a backdoor registration scheme for the law abiding.

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