U.S. Representatives Richard Hudson, Riley Moore, and Andy Barr have introduced the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act in Washington, D.C. The proposed legislation aims to prohibit the use of a Merchant Category Code (MCC) for tracking sales at gun stores.
Rep. Hudson expressed concern about attempts to infringe on constitutional rights, stating: “The American people are fed up with gun grabbing liberals’ attempts to encroach on their Constitutionally protected rights.” He emphasized his commitment to safeguarding the privacy of law-abiding gun owners.
Rep. Moore highlighted his opposition to financial institutions collecting data on Americans exercising their rights: “I’ve spent the better part of my short career in public service fighting financial institutions that push a political agenda.” He criticized efforts by the Biden Administration to pressure banks into sharing customer data.
Rep. Barr underscored the importance of protecting fundamental rights: “In America, the right to privacy and the right to keep and bear arms are fundamental.” He stressed that citizens should be able to make purchases without fear of tracking or discrimination.
Aidan Johnston from Gun Owners of America criticized the use of MCCs as an invasion of privacy, while John Commerford from NRA Institute for Legislative Action described it as an attempt at creating a national firearms registry.
Jeff Crane from Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation praised the bill’s role in ensuring firearm transactions are treated like any other purchase, and Lawrence G. Keane from National Shooting Sports Foundation spoke against government overreach into private transactions.
The bill comes after previous actions by Rep. Hudson questioning MCC implementation for tracking gun purchases and follows moves by major credit card companies Visa, Mastercard, and American Express pausing its implementation last year.
For more details on this legislative effort, readers can refer to publications like Washington Examiner and Breitbart News.
