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February 8, 2023
NSSF Applauds U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer’s Fair Access to Banking Act Introduction
WASHINGTON, D.C. — NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, applauded U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer’s (R-N.D.) introduction of the Fair Access to Banking Act, S. 293, which would work to end the discriminatory lending practices of major banking institutions that seek to circumvent the legislative process and set social policy from the boardroom. The legislation has 36 co-sponsors.
The Fair Access to Banking Act would require banks to provide access to services, capital, and credit based on the objective risk assessment of individual customers, rather than subjective broad-based decisions affecting whole categories or classes of customers.
“Senator Cramer’s ‘Fair Access to Banking’ legislation is a bold and principled stand that will put an end to ‘woke’ financial discrimination,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “This legislation will ensure financial institutions make decisions to offer services to lawful businesses based on verifiable financial data and not the shifting political or social views of banking executives that are unaccountable to the American voter. For too long, banking institutions have arbitrarily denied services to legal and Constitutionally-protected businesses such as those in the firearm industry, to advance a politically-driven agenda that would deny critical financial services to the industry that provides the means for law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights. The firearm industry thanks Senator Cramer for his work to guarantee all legal and regulated American companies have fair and uniform access to financial services as required by Federal law.”
The Fair Access to Banking Act would stop corporate banks from picking winners and losers based on executives’ personal politics. It also protects banks from outside pressure by special interest groups seeking to use the banks as a political weapon to advance their agenda.
Corporate banks have privatized “Operation Choke Point,” the illegal discrimination scheme that began under the Obama-Biden administration. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)-led effort directed financial institutions to deny entire industries access to services, including the firearm industry. Despite being a Constitutionally-protected industry, the Obama-Biden administration illegally coerced banks to end existing business relationships and deny new ones.
After the illegal practice was ended under the Trump administration, banks and special interest advocates privatized this scheme by adopting policies that specifically denied firearm businesses financial services for the sole reason of being in the business of selling certain types of lawful firearms. They forced these discriminatory practices while exploiting taxpayer-funded resources like FDIC insurance protections.
For more information about how the Fair Access for Banking Act would protect the firearm industry and other industries targeted by illegal discriminatory practices, click here.
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About NSSF
NSSF is the trade association for the firearm industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org.
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