Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Banking Committee, joined Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) in sending a letter to Amalgamated Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Priscilla Sims Brown, criticizing the bank’s manipulation of an international rules organization to force U.S. financial services firms to categorize gun purchases—an indefensible attempt to target law-abiding Americans exercising their right to purchase firearms and to enact far-left political goals.
“Your bank is attempting to restrict the Second Amendment rights of Americans by going around the democratic process. You should expect Congressional oversight of your actions,” wrote the senators.
The Senators pointed to Amalgamated Bank’s website, where its anti-firearm agenda is made alarmingly clear.
“It is clear from Amalgamated Bank’s website that it has fully embraced an anti-firearm agenda. Whether it is choosing to debank firearms manufacturers, forcing all commercial clients to adopt anti-gun control codes, or divesting customer assets from lawful businesses, these decisions demonstrate your attempt to force your political views on law-abiding Americans. If you want to change gun policy, you should run for office and make yourself accountable to voters. What’s worse, these actions weren’t enough for you, so you set your sights on forcing these radical and discriminatory policies on the entire financial system,” continued the senators.
Prior to the International Standards Organization (ISO)’s recent creation of a merchant category code (MCC) that will target, surveil and discourage gun and ammunition sellers earlier this month, Amalgamated Bank submitted three applications for its anti-firearm policies—each of which were rejected.
“Let us be clear: weaponizing the financial system to enact far-left political goals is inexcusable… You should consider this notice to retain all communications involving your role in ISO’s categorization scheme, and you should anticipate testifying before Congress in the near future,” concluded the senators.
Joining Senators Cramer, Hagerty, and Cotton are Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), John Boozman (R-AR), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Richard Shelby (R-AL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Steve Daines (R-MT), John Thune (R-SD), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), John Kennedy (R-LA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and John Cornyn (R-TX).
Click here to read the letter.