23 Republican AGs issue warning to credit card giants planning to track firearm purchases

Republican attorneys general of 23 states wrote a letter Tuesday warning credit card giants not to move forward with plans to start tracking purchases that take place at gun stores across the U.S.

The letter, sent to Visa, MasterCard and American Express, argues that the data is likely to be misused and will not make Americans safer, according to The Wall Street Journal. The companies have stated that the new policy will not prevent gun purchases from taking place but will create a database of the purchases.

Credit card companies have many codes for certain types of purchases, differentiating between purchases at supermarkets, clothing stores, coffee shops and many other types of retailers. Gun store purchases were previously classified under "general merchandise" but will now have their own classification.

Senate Republicans sent a similar letter to credit card companies on Saturday. The group fo 12 GOP senators, led by Sen. Roger Marshall, R-KS, argued the companies were overstepping their authority.

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"This decision, which is already being hailed by radical anti-gun activists, is the first step towards backdoor gun control on law-abiding Americans," the senators wrote to the CEOs. "Any change that seeks to impact a United States citizen's ability to legally purchase a firearm belongs with Congress, not payment networks, international standard-setting organizations, or the financial institutions that some of you serve."

"You are choosing to insert yourselves into this political debate – which should only be fought at the ballot box and in Congress – and in doing so, you are making clear that you are more than unbiased network operators seeking to maximize value for your customers and shareholders. You have become antigun activists yourselves, wittingly or not," the senators continued.

Advocates for the change, such as Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams, argue it is simply "common sense" and can allow for easier investigation of suspect gun purchases.

"When you buy an airline ticket or pay for your groceries, your credit card company has a special code for those retailers. It’s just common sense that we have the same policies in place for gun and ammunition stores," New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams said earlier this month.

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Republicans in Congress have threatened to take action if the companies move forward with the plan, a threat that relies on the GOP gaining control of the House or Senate come November.