Last month Representative Madeleine Dean [D-PA-4] and Senator Ed Markey [D-MA] introduced bills on preventing so-called gun violence. This all star team of gun grabbers have taken to new tactics on the usurpation of our rights. The bills, H.R.5764 and S.3117 are known as the “Gun Violence Prevention Through Financial Intelligence Act”. The title might lead one to believe that the bill aims to teach methods to achieve financial stability to people and that would help to cut down on so-called gun violence, and crime in general. No, that’s not the type of intelligence they’re discussing. The type of intelligence that this duo from the anti-freedom caucus is advocating for is to have your financial institutes spy on you and report anything that’s “suspicious”. It’d be far too easy to educate our way out of the problems we have in society. From a press release we can see how they’ve painted the introduction of these Second and Fourth Amendment squishing bills.

The legislation would require the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) within the Treasury Department to provide guidance to financial institutions that could help them report suspicious activity related to mass shootings and domestic terrorism.

Under existing regulation financial institutions are required to file Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), to raise red flags about money laundering, human trafficking, terrorist financing and other criminal activity. This bill would require FinCEN to collect and analyze data from financial institutions to determine what indicators, if any, might precede a mass shooting or terrorist attack. FinCen would then be required to issue an advisory on how financial institutions should use these indicators to comply with their SAR filings. The bill seeks to determine dangerous financial patterns that may be detectable.

Aside from the fact that this is a gross violation of our privacy rights, there are problems with these bills. Well, maybe they are not “problems” per se, but rather features. What kind of activity would be categorized as “suspicious” or “dangerous financial patterns”? Would stock piling ammunition fit the bill? How about big purchases at gun stores? Would purchases like those in different areas of the country throw a flag on the play? Well, that could be the behavioral pattern of a competition shooter, could it not? Someone that’s a firearms instructor as a side hustle? Or how about it’s none of anyone’s business what kind of financial transactions law abiding Americans make. That’s fairly simple. Nunya!

What are some of the comments from this all-star cast of civil rights trampling “representatives”?

“We need to use every tool at our disposal to help prevent tragic loss of life from gun violence,” Congresswoman Madeleine Dean said. “This bill puts our existing infrastructure for detecting financial crimes to work and seeks to determine if there are patterns of financial behavior that precede mass shootings and terrorist incidents – learning these data points will help us identify and stop gun violence in the future.”

“Financial institutions already have proven systems in place to identify suspicious behavior and purchasing patterns that enable them to crack down on activities like money laundering, human smuggling, and fentanyl trafficking,” Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton [one of the co-sponsors] said. “Banks, retailers, and credit card companies can put these tools to use to detect and prevent mass shootings – if they know what to look for. I’m proud to join Rep. Dean and Senator Markey in introducing this legislation to equip financial institutions with the guidance they need to help us save lives.”

“We cannot allow banks and financial institutions to turn a blind eye as shooters bank a pile of guns and ammunition in lead up to an attack,” Senator Markey said. “The Gun Violence Prevention Through Financial Intelligence Act will give us the guidance on how these institutions can help pinpoint and prevent gun violence across the country. I am proud to work with Representatives Dean and Wexton in advancing this gun violence prevention legislation.”

No anti-freedom bill would be complete without the official seal from some of the groups that are endorsing this drivel: Everytown for Gun Safety, March For Our Lives, Newtown Action Alliance, Guns Down America, and Moms Demand Action. The complete chorus of pinkos did weigh in with par for course commentary. Honestly, there’s not need to give these commie mommy groups any more press. If you’re so inclined to read what these brain trusts had to say just check out the press release.

The bills collectively have the following five co-sponsors: Rep. Jennifer Wexton [D-VA-10], Sen. Richard Blumenthal [D-CT], Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D-CA], Sen. Elizabeth Warren [D-MA], and Sen. Cory Booker [D-NJ]. I’m not even 1/1024th surprised at the list of who’s who of gun-grabbers willing to participate on the spying of American Citizens. Can I get an “I’m Spartacus!”? Shockingly ironic.

From the bill’s text we do get a deeper look at what this’ll intend to do.

To require the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to issue an advisory about how homegrown violent extremists and other perpetrators of domestic terrorism procure firearms and firearm accessories, and for other purposes.

[…]

(1) IN GENERAL.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, FinCEN shall request information from financial institutions for the purpose of developing an advisory about the identification and reporting of suspicious activity relating to—

(A) how homegrown violent extremists and perpetrators of domestic terrorism procure firearms and firearm accessories for the purpose of carrying out lone actor or lone wolf acts of terror within the United States; and

(B) the ways in which the firearms market in the United States is exploited to facilitate gun violence in the United States.

What about the information reporting, gathering and handling? If the institute does not have a sufficient amount of data, they’ll have to send a report to the powers that be.

(2) INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION COLLECTED.— Not later than 540 days after the date of enactment of this Act, if FinCEN determines that the information collected under subsection (b)(1) is not sufficient to develop the advisory described in that subsection, FinCEN shall submit to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives a report that describes—

(A) the type of information collected under subsection (b)(1);
(B) the methodology used to collect such information;
(C) the degree to which financial institutions provided information requested;
(D) why such information is not sufficient to develop the advisory described in subsection (b)(1); and
(E) any barriers to obtaining the information that is required to develop the advisory described in subsection (b)(1)

Yeah, a solid list to bring us back to the world of naming names and having Big Brother really watching over us. I can hear John Proctor in the background declaring that his name is the only thing he has while selling his soul.

There’s no doubt that our freedoms are under attack. Members of the anti-freedom caucus keep coming up with new and innovative ways to invade our privacy and usurp our rights. Markey, I get – as he’s from the state of Marxistchusetts, but Dean from Pennsylvania, good luck going forward. Dean aught to pay attention to the massive red wave that’s coming her way in Pennsylvania. If anything should serve as a canary to her is the fact that the state legislature just passed permitless carry.

The likelihood of this making its way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to have President Biden be told to sign it is slim to none. Regardless, we all need to be aware of these attacks on our freedoms, and as always, we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled and report back with any new information.