Choking The Life Out Of The Firearms Industry

Across the country, businesses in the extremely high regulated firearms industry are receiving letters from banks who simply refuse to continue their business partnership

Choking The Life Out Of The Firearms Industry


The Obama Administration has been ramping up ‘Operation Choke Point’; they will do everything in their power, or outside their realm of power, to destroy the firearms industry. Banks are cutting off credit lines and denying their services to businesses in the firearms industry.

“I don’t see how this is any different than a mafia-style shakedown, promising to leave banks and card processors alone if they ‘play along’ by foregoing money from certain industries, regardless of their legal status.” - Said Kat O’Connor, owner of TomKat Ammunition.

Some republican members of Congress have confronted Attorney General Eric Holder, encouraging him to drop the program but it is not enough.

Congress must suck it up and act now to rein in President Barack Obama and his administration. They have been trying to financially strangle gun companies who have done nothing wrong.

This president’s priorities are way off the grid, and only Congress can stop this nonsense. How many more laws will this Administration break before Congress will act?! Tell them to suck it up, act now, and rein in this Administration who is abusing their power more than ever before!

A controversy has erupted over Operation Choke Point, a Justice Department project that cuts off bank funds to allegedly questionable enterprises, but instead is also being used to restrict funds to companies it finds “objectionable.” The companies they are continuing to call “objectionable” happen to be companies who sell firearms and ammunition.

The Obama administration has happily been pressuring banks to cut off funds to firearms retailers, who serve law-abiding citizens interested in protecting their homes and families.

Brian Wise, senior adviser to the U.S. Consumer Coalition is lobbying to end ‘Operation Choke Point’:

“... you would think… They would go after Planned Parenthood, that is certainly a fairly high risk industry. They would go against marijuana dealers.”

Across the country, businesses in the extremely high regulated firearms industry are receiving letters from banks who simply refuse to continue their business partnership. Below are examples of this:

“This letter in no way reflects any derogatory reasons for such action on your behalf. But rather one of industry. Unfortunately your company’s line of business is not commensurate with the industries we work with.”

“Based on your performance, there’s no way we shouldn’t be a credit provider. Our only issue is, and it has always been, the space in which you operate. It is the scrutiny that you, and now that we, are under.”

It is time for Congress to step in and do its job as an equal branch of government. This administration has created one scandal after another, from Fast and Furious through Obamacare and Benghazi, the IRS, the Veterans Administration and now ‘Operation Choke Point’.

The Independent Bankers Community of America has weighed in on ‘Operation Choke Point’:

“ICBA requests that the DOJ suspend Operation Choke Point immediately and focus its resources directly on businesses that may be violating the law, rather than targeting banks providing payment services.”

Some members of Congress have already taken notice of the actions of the Administration. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), a sitting member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, argues:

“There is a determined effort from [the Justice Department] to the regulators to cut off credit and use other tactics to force [payday lenders] out of business,” he said. “I find that deeply troubling because it has no statutory basis, no statutory authority.”

Some members of Congress have taken notice of the despicable actions of this Administration but they have sat back and let it take place. It is time for them to listen to the Patriots of this Country who are telling them to ACT!

The only way we can rein in this Administration is by putting pressure on every member of Congress to act. They need to remember they are an equal branch of Government to our President. He does not have ALL power to do whatever he wants.

Our Constitution was written to protect against a sole person having power over an entire people. We cannot allow this behavior to continue. Thank you for your help.

Sincerely Yours,

Alan M. Gottlieb
Chairman
Citizens For The Right To Keep And Bear Arms (CCRKBA)