Wells Fargo Stems the Tide: Not a Bank’s Job to Set U.S. Gun Policy

Wells Fargo stemmed the tide of the push for new financial restrictions on gun makers and sellers by stressing that it is not a bank’s job to set U.S. gun policy.

Wells Fargo believes firearm policy is a debate for Congress instead.

According to Reuters, Wells Fargo chief financial officer John Shrewsberry said, “The best way to make progress on these issues is through the political and legislative process. In the meantime, Wells Fargo is engaging our customers that legally manufacture firearms and other stakeholders on what we can do together to promote better gun safety in our communities.”

Wells Fargo’s refusal to place new regulations or stipulations on legal firearm manufacturers represents a break with Citigroup and Bank of America. On March 23, 2018, Breitbart News reported that Citibank now requires customers who own gun stores to stop selling long guns to anyone under the age of 21 and to quit selling “high-capacity” magazines as well.

They also ask gun stores to refuse to sell any gun until an extended background check comes back conclusive, even though federal law recognizes that a federal firearms license holder can legally sell a gun if a check lasts three days and no incriminating evidence against the would-be buyer is found.

Last week, Bank of America made clear they will no longer loan money to manufacturers that make “military-style firearms.”

On March 9, 2018, Breitbart News reported that Visa refused to cut ties with semi-automatic rifle makers. In a statement conveying sentiment similar to Wells Fargo’s, Visa said it was not their job to “[set] restrictions on the sale of lawful goods and services.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets with AWR Hawkins, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.