Tipsheet

New York Governor Wants Credit Card Companies to Crackdown On Gun Sales

New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) tweeted on Wednesday that in order to decrease gun crime, credit card companies such as American Express and Mastercard need to do more to scrutinize gun purchases.

"Everyone needs to do their part to combat gun violence. [American Express,] [Mastercard] & [Visa] should categorize firearm purchases & flag suspicious activity –just like they do for millions of other transactions," Hochul said. "Together we can help stop gun trafficking & keep New Yorkers safe."

Democratic politicians and activists have increasingly put pressure on financial institutions to curb firearm sales as national gun control legislation has made little headway in Congress.

Beto O'Rourke, who is running against Texas' Republican Governor Greg Abbott, had previously called for credit card companies to "cut off the sales of weapons of war today" when he was running for president in 2019.