Presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke called for banks and credit card companies to refuse to facilitate purchases of “assault weapons,” and to stop doing business with companies who make them.
“Credit cards have enabled many of America’s mass shootings in the last decade,” O’Rourke said in an email Thursday. “For example, the man who shot up a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, got away with buying $11,000 in assault rifles, gas masks, and ammo. He just charged it to his credit card.”
The former Democratic congressman said because of the purchases made, credit card companies and banks “profit off of those who terrorize our communities … That’s why today we’re calling on the financial industry to do their part to cut off the sales of these weapons of war.”
Banks and credit card companies must:
1⃣Refuse to take part in the sale of assault weapons.
2⃣Stop processing transactions for gun sales online & at gun shows without background checks.
3⃣Stop doing business with gun & ammo manufacturers who produce or sell assault weapons— Beto O’Rourke (@BetoORourke) September 12, 2019
“The financial industry has played a part in government efforts to stop the illegal drug trade, trafficking, and other violent crimes. It’s time for them to step up now and stop the easy flow of assault weapons to terrorists,” he added.
O’Rourke has been leading the crowded Democratic field in pushing for very strict gun control proposals. He most recently voiced his support for mandatory gun confiscation, with compensation provided to the owner of AR-15s and AK-47s.
“I want to be really clear that that’s exactly what we are going to do,” he said. “Americans who own AR-15s, AK-47s, will have to sell them to the government. We’re not going to allow them to stay on our streets, to show up in our communities, to be used against us in our synagogues, our churches, our mosques, our Walmarts, our public places.”
