Bill Ensures Permanent End to Obama-era Operation Chokepoint that Targeted Conservative-Aligned Industries
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines secured important protections for energy companies and gun manufacturers in the “SAFER Banking Act,” which will be considered before the Senate Banking Committee next week. Daines’ efforts will protect Montana businesses from liberal initiatives that are part of the Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) movement. Daines also worked to ensure Operation Chokepoint, an illegal initiative put in place by the Obama administration that pressured banks to close accounts of industries they were ideologically opposed to, can never happen again.
“The ‘SAFER Banking Act’ is about keeping our Montana communities safe and reducing the risk of crime but it’s also an important opportunity to ensure all legal businesses, including firearm manufacturers and energy producers, are protected from the Left’s woke agenda. No legal Montana business should be shut out of banks or credit unions. I’m glad to work with my colleagues to strengthen this bill and ensure Montana businesses are able to access financial institutions,” said Senator Daines.
Statements of Support:
“The bottom line is that the voters of Montana have legalized cannabis at the state level, and when the federal government denies cannabis-related businesses access to banking services, it makes our communities less safe and less prosperous. The SAFE Banking Act provides a safe and predictable environment for Montana banks to serve legitimate, state-regulated cannabis-related businesses. We thank Senator Daines for his leadership on the SAFE Banking Act and we will be pleased to see it move forward.” – Sam Sill, President/CEO of Montana Bankers Association
“We are grateful for Senator Daines’ leadership in advancing the SAFER Banking Act. This crucial piece of legislation provides a secure platform for cash and payroll deposits for legal Montana businesses, which ensures the financial security of their employees.” – Karen Smith, SVP/Chief Advocacy Officer of Montana’s Credit Unions.
Senator Daines does not support making cannabis legal federally. In the coming days, Daines will be introducing legislation to ensure marijuana cannot be legalized federally by the FDA without Congressional approval.