Rand Paul introduces an amendment to prevent the DOJ from using Operation Choke Point to punish gun dealers

Operation Choke Point is an initiative started by the Department on Injustice back in 2013 with the stated goal of protecting consumers from fraud by scrutinizing banks which deal heavily with “high risk” businesses.

Of course the Federal government is tasked with identifying these “high risk” businesses so when the Congress failed to pass Barack Obama’s gun control legislation the regime decided to add gun manufacturers and dealers to the list of “high risk” businesses in an apparent attempt to choke off the sale of guns. This has had some early success, banks not wishing to receive additional scrutiny from the Federal government have decided to stop doing business with gun dealers in several cases.

Rand Paul sees this for what it is, an end-around the Congress, and he has added an amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for the 2015 which would prevent the FDIC and the Department of Injustice from using Operation Choke Point to target gun manufacturers and dealers by cutting off the funding for this aspect of the initiative.



Kentucky U.S. Sen. Rand Paul has filed an amendment aimed at protecting Second Amendment rights by preventing two federal agencies from pulling an “end-around” on gun and ammunition manufacturers and sellers. Paul is seeking to amend the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for the 2015 budget to prevent any funds given to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or Department of Justice (DOJ) from targeting gun and ammunition companies. In Paul’s amendment, filed Thursday evening, the FDIC will not be allowed “to classify the sale or manufacture of a firearm or ammunition as an activity involving risk.”

This is a much needed step in the right direction and I applaud Rand Paul but if I had to guess this will be DOA in the Democratic controlled Senate. The Senate will strip the bill of this amendment and send it to the House and it will be interesting to see if the House at that point stands with the Constitution, and Rand Paul, or if they once again give in to the Democrats while promising to fight another day.