{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-colleagues-call-out-amalgamated-bank-for-weaponizing-financial-system-to-infringe-on-americans-second-amendment-rights", "Crapo, Risch, Colleagues Call Out Amalgamated Bank for Weaponizing Financial System to Infringe on Americans\u2019 Second Amendment Rights", "2022-10-06", "2022", "2022-10", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) joined 24 Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Amalgamated Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Priscilla Sims Brown, criticizing the bank\u2019s manipulation of an international standard-setting 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.\n\n\u201cYour 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,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\nThe Senators pointed to Amalgamated Bank\u2019s website, where its anti-firearm agenda is made alarmingly clear.\n\n\u201cIt is clear from Amalgamated Bank\u2019s 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\u2019s worse, these actions weren\u2019t enough for you, so you set your sights on forcing these radical and discriminatory policies on the entire financial system,\u201d the Senators continued.\n\nPrior to the International Standards Organization (ISO)\u2019s 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.\n\n\u201cLet 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\u2019s categorization scheme, and you should anticipate testifying before Congress in the near future,\u201d the Senators concluded.\n\nCrapo and Risch recently joined a call condemning credit card companies\u2019 decision to categorize gun sales into a separate, unique category. Similarly, as former Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Crapo has frequently warned banks and financial services institutions against cutting ties to politically disfavored industries, calling such restrictions, \u201ca disturbing trend.\u201d Crapo is a co-sponsor of the Financial Institution Customer Protection Act, which would prohibit federal regulators from arbitrarily forcing bank institutions to terminate their relationships with legal businesses solely because the operations of the businesses are not in line with the views of the contemporaneous administration.\n\nA copy of the letter can be found here and below.\n\nDear Ms. Brown,\n\nWe write to you about your bank\u2019s manipulation of an international rules organization to force U.S. financial services firms to categorize gun purchases. 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.\n\nAs you are undoubtedly aware, earlier this month, the International Standards Organization (ISO) based in Switzerland created a merchant category code (MCC) specifically to target, surveil and discourage gun and ammunition sellers. Your actions were a major step toward targeting law-abiding Americans exercising their right to purchase firearms, a right that is protected by the Constitution.\n\nIt is clear from Amalgamated Bank\u2019s 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\u2019s worse, these actions weren\u2019t enough for you, so you set your sights on forcing these radical and discriminatory policies on the entire financial system.\n\nThere was good reason that the ISO rejected your previous three applications for this policy, as such a move is purely political, not to mention the immense regulatory and compliance burden it will ultimately place on retailers.\n\nLet us be clear: weaponizing the financial system to enact far-left political goals is inexcusable. The fundamental rights of Americans should be legislated on and debated by the elected officials who are sent to Washington, D.C. on their constituents\u2019 behalf, and not by progressive activist CEOs or un-elected bureaucrats in Geneva.\n\nYou should consider this notice to retain all communications involving your role in ISO\u2019s categorization scheme, and you should anticipate testifying before Congress in the near future.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-colleagues-call-out-amalgamated-bank-for-weaponizing-financial-system-to-infringe-on-americans-second-amendment-rights"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8062570597976446, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}