PA Bill Number: HB335
Title: In inchoate crimes, further providing for prohibited offensive weapons.
Description: In inchoate crimes, further providing for prohibited offensive weapons. ...
Last Action: Removed from table
Last Action Date: May 1, 2024
Senator Crapo's amendment to 'Operation Choke Point' program approved :: 04/08/2015
LEWISTON, ID - U.S. Senator Mike Crapo is making some serious waves in Washington.
He proposed an amendment that would strip money from a program run by the Department of Justice.
Reporter Sophia Miraglio explains what the program does, and why Senator Crapo doesn't like it.
Senator Mike Crapo is taking aim at 'Operation Choke Point.'
"The only fair thing about this operation in my opinion is they named it properly; they've admitted what they're trying to do," said Crapo. "They're trying to choke the access to financing in the marketplace away from certain industries."
'Operation Choke Point' is an initiative pushed by United States Department of Justice and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in which they investigate banks in the United States and the business they do with companies they deem to be at higher risk for fraud and money laundering.
"And in this case the operation was not only focused second amendment rights but on a number of other industries around the country that were just not acceptable to the Department of Justice," said Crapo.
Some categories that the FDIC had listed as being associated with high-risk activity range from coin dealers, tobacco sales, payday loans, pharmaceutical sales, firearm and ammunition sales.
Senator Crapo said what they do then is try to choke their access to financing.
"An effort to stop honest law abiding American from engaging in a legal business when they have done nothing wrong," said Crapo. "And for the government and our financial regulators to engage in that kind of an effort to chill the exercise of second amendment rights I think is outrageous"
The senator has brought an amendment forward which opens the door for legislation that would defund that program.
The amendment was approved in a 13-9 vote at the Senate Budget Committee.
http://www.klewtv.com/news/local/Choke-Point-Legislation-298967791.html
