The Briefing Room

General Category => Politics/Government => Topic started by: txradioguy on April 16, 2018, 01:05:42 pm

Title: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: txradioguy on April 16, 2018, 01:05:42 pm
Actions have consequences. Delta Airlines recently lost $40 million worth of Georgia fuel tax breaks after dropping the NRA from its discount affiliate program following the Parkland shooting. Delta and its shareholders surely felt the sting of that decision.

But the move against Delta may come to look like a drop in the bucket. Citibank could take a hit that would completely redefine the expression “get woke, go broke.” That’s because a group of Republican congressmen want to kill Citibank’s $700 billion contract with Uncle Sam over the bank’s new post-Parkland anti-gun policies.

Congressman Todd Rokita of Indiana (above) got the ball rolling against the “too big to fail” banking giant. He read about Citibank’s decision to discriminate against those lawfully able to own and possess firearms as well as the bank’s decision to impose arbitrary standards on sales of standard-capacity magazines and certain firearm accessories for business customers.

Rep. Rokita isn’t a fan of the bank’s arbitrary discrimination against gun-owning consumers and retailers who sell firearms, so he’s taking action. He, and some of his fellow congressman want the General Services Administration to kill a $700 billion contract Citibank has to run a portion of the federal government’s purchase card operation.

The Daily Caller has the latest:

Quote
Sixteen Republican congressmen are asking the General Services Administration (GSA) to reevaluate a $700 billion contract with Citibank as a result of the the financial institution’s “anti-Second Amendment policies.”

The congressmen, led by Indiana Rep. Todd Rokita, sent a letter to GSA Administrator Emily Murphy on Wednesday, asking her to terminate the contract in response to Citibank’s March announcement restricting its clients participation in gun sales.

“In 2017, the General Services Administration (GSA) awarded Citibank a contract of more than $700 billion to partially implement the federal charge card program, SmartPay 3,” the congressmen wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation.

“Because of Citibank’s new guidelines targeting customers wishing to exercise their legal Second Amendment rights, we urge you to cancel Citibank’s participation in the SmartPay 3 contract, and award it to a company that does not unfairly restrict a customer’s constitutional rights,” it reads.

Citibank took almost half a trillion dollars of bailout money during the banking crisis a decade ago. Now they want to discriminate against some lawful businesses and certain law-abiding Americans — people whose tax dollars bailed them out.

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2018/04/john-boch/payback-gop-targets-citibanks-700b-government-contract-over-anti-2a-policies/ (http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2018/04/john-boch/payback-gop-targets-citibanks-700b-government-contract-over-anti-2a-policies/)
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: kevindavis007 on April 16, 2018, 01:30:30 pm
I think it is time that some of these banks get broken up.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: txradioguy on April 16, 2018, 01:50:59 pm
I think it is time that some of these banks get broken up.

The head of CitiBank is good friends with Obama which IIRC is how they took over the GSA contract from Bank of America.

Honestly I just wish they'd scrap the entire program. It's rife with fraud and abuse and it puts the burden of payment of the bill on the soldiers of Finance is their normally slow selves in settling up. Use that government travel card has an impact on a service members credit rating.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: kevindavis007 on April 16, 2018, 01:53:37 pm
The head of CitiBank is good friends with Obama which IIRC is how they took over the GSA contract from Bank of America.

Honestly I just wish they'd scrap the entire program. It's rife with fraud and abuse and it puts the burden of payment of the bill on the soldiers of Finance is their normally slow selves in settling up. Use that government travel card has an impact on a service members credit rating.


Explains a lot. I remember the bank mergers that started in the mid 90's and I knew back then the troubles it was going to cause.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: txradioguy on April 16, 2018, 01:57:28 pm

Explains a lot. I remember the bank mergers that started in the mid 90's and I knew back then the troubles it was going to cause.

Now we're stuck with "too big to fail".
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: kevindavis007 on April 16, 2018, 01:59:59 pm
Now we're stuck with "too big to fail".


Yep.. They should have been broken up after the crash.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: txradioguy on April 16, 2018, 02:00:22 pm
Personally I wish the punishment would come via people moving their bank and credit accounts to other institutions instead of having the heavy hand of the Federal Government get involved. Maybe this will serve as a wake up call that not just Liberals use their bank.   
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: kevindavis007 on April 16, 2018, 02:01:51 pm
Personally I wish the punishment would come via people moving their bank and credit accounts to other institutions instead of having the heavy hand of the Federal Government get involved. Maybe this will serve as a wake up call that not just Liberals use their bank.


I agree. That is the better alternative.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: Free Vulcan on April 16, 2018, 02:14:45 pm
Good. Stick the knife in their eye.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: Victoria33 on April 16, 2018, 02:24:48 pm
Personally I wish the punishment would come via people moving their bank and credit accounts to other institutions instead of having the heavy hand of the Federal Government get involved. Maybe this will serve as a wake up call that not just Liberals use their bank.
@txradioguy

I don't have a Citibank credit card - if I did, I would cut it up and dump it in the trash.  If gun owners would do that, it would cut off another way Citibank makes money.

Look at it this way or not:  Bakers have to sell gays wedding cakes, so Citibank should have to give (sell) loans to gun people.  Or do you think Citibank is a business so they can decide who they want to get loans and Bakers are a business, so they can decide who gets wedding cakes?
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: txradioguy on April 16, 2018, 02:41:29 pm
@txradioguy

I don't have a Citibank credit card - if I did, I would cut it up and dump it in the trash.  If gun owners would do that, it would cut off another way Citibank makes money.

Look at it this way or not:  Bakers have to sell gays wedding cakes, so Citibank should have to give (sell) loans to gun people.  Or do you think Citibank is a business so they can decide who they want to get loans and Bakers are a business, so they can decide who gets wedding cakes?

@Victoria33 I'd tear mine up too.  I don't have one now even though they sent out a message saying it's mandatory for all soldiers.  I stuck to my guns on not getting one since it reports to my credit report.  I just keep a separate bank account set up to handle my government business trips.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: Night Hides Not on April 16, 2018, 04:12:32 pm
The head of CitiBank is good friends with Obama which IIRC is how they took over the GSA contract from Bank of America.

Honestly I just wish they'd scrap the entire program. It's rife with fraud and abuse and it puts the burden of payment of the bill on the soldiers of Finance is their normally slow selves in settling up. Use that government travel card has an impact on a service members credit rating.

FDIC had a one strike and yer out policy when I started working there 9 years ago (hard to believe it was that long ago). If you didn't pay your bill on time, you were terminated. I saw that happen to a GS-14 whose wife "took care of the bills". There was no excuse, you were paid within 72 hours of submitting your travel voucher.

There was another coworker who used the card for improper websites, he was canned too.

Looking back on my career, I honestly feel that about 15 of my 40 years had any worth: 8 years in the Army, 5 at the FDIC, and the remaining time in a couple of other positions. The other 25 earned me a paycheck, but little beyond that. Not complaining, we've raised 3 kids to be productive citizens, though our 16 YO is giving us fits. The Lord has blessed me with a life with unbelievable experiences that I could never have imagined when I was in high school.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: driftdiver on April 16, 2018, 04:22:08 pm
Personally I wish the punishment would come via people moving their bank and credit accounts to other institutions instead of having the heavy hand of the Federal Government get involved. Maybe this will serve as a wake up call that not just Liberals use their bank.

So you're saying the federal govt shouldn't enforce the protections of our Constitutional rights?
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: txradioguy on April 16, 2018, 04:44:54 pm
So you're saying the federal govt shouldn't enforce the protections of our Constitutional rights?

No not saying that at all.  But a private business should be handled for their transgressions like this based purely on political ideology...by the private citizens who choose not to do business with them based on their anti 2A stance.

Besides...if the Feds start punishing anti 2A businesses now like CitiGroup or Delta...that can backfire on pro 2A organizations or groups when a Dem is in office.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: driftdiver on April 16, 2018, 04:51:07 pm
No not saying that at all.  But a private business should be handled for their transgressions like this based purely on political ideology...by the private citizens who choose not to do business with them based on their anti 2A stance.

Besides...if the Feds start punishing anti 2A businesses now like CitiGroup or Delta...that can backfire on pro 2A organizations or groups when a Dem is in office.

So a publicly owned company that engages in slavery should only be held to task by individuals?

Conservatives represent a huge block of voters and spenders.   The left has done a wonderful job getting conservatives to fight with each other and making them afraid to stand up for their rights.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: txradioguy on April 16, 2018, 04:56:26 pm
So a publicly owned company that engages in slavery should only be held to task by individuals?

Conservatives represent a huge block of voters and spenders.   The left has done a wonderful job getting conservatives to fight with each other and making them afraid to stand up for their rights.

And they can stand up for their rights by choosing not to do business with Citibank.

If the Feds want to terminate the contract because of the anti 2A stance Jamie Dimond and his company have taken...there are other reasons they can give like "we elected not to renew our contract with Citibank and we chose to go in another direction" etc etc.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: driftdiver on April 16, 2018, 05:12:39 pm
And they can stand up for their rights by choosing not to do business with Citibank.

If the Feds want to terminate the contract because of the anti 2A stance Jamie Dimond and his company have taken...there are other reasons they can give like "we elected not to renew our contract with Citibank and we chose to go in another direction" etc etc.

The 2A is no different then any other Constitutionally protected right.   If we don't demand our govt stop treating it differently they won't and it will disappear.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: txradioguy on April 16, 2018, 05:34:56 pm
The 2A is no different then any other Constitutionally protected right.   If we don't demand our govt stop treating it differently they won't and it will disappear.

The 2nd Amendment won't go away because Citibank chooses not to do business with or run a line of credit with people in the firearms industry...pardon the pun but they are actually shooting themselves inn the foot with this move.

They aren't violating anyone's second amendment rights...they're just making stupid business decisions for now. 

Now if they started firing employees who are gun owners then that is a violation of the employees 2A rights and would be grounds for the Feds to step in and take action.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: driftdiver on April 16, 2018, 06:07:34 pm
The 2nd Amendment won't go away because Citibank chooses not to do business with or run a line of credit with people in the firearms industry...pardon the pun but they are actually shooting themselves inn the foot with this move.

They aren't violating anyone's second amendment rights...they're just making stupid business decisions for now. 

Now if they started firing employees who are gun owners then that is a violation of the employees 2A rights and would be grounds for the Feds to step in and take action.

Well looking at historical records it is common for the Federal Govt to go after organizations which seek to discriminate against individuals Constitutional rights.

So if they can force you to bake a cake they can force you to do business with legal businesses conducting legal transactions.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: truth_seeker on April 16, 2018, 06:14:25 pm
I think it is time that some of these banks get broken up.

Along with social media giants, online retail near monopolies, etc.

Facebook, Google, Amazon, come to mind.

The oils and railroads were broken up long ago, for reasons of unfair competition, monopoly, etc.

In this case, other banks can lend.

In the case of Facebook, there is no alternative of any significance, that I know of.

Facebook is apparently able to amass huge volumes of data on the target of advertising (their users) and then sell targeted advertising. Vertical integration.

When oil companies were broken up, it was for vertical integration--eg. from the wellhead to the gas tank, and everything in between.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: txradioguy on April 16, 2018, 06:20:19 pm
Well looking at historical records it is common for the Federal Govt to go after organizations which seek to discriminate against individuals Constitutional rights.

So if they can force you to bake a cake they can force you to do business with legal businesses conducting legal transactions.

Thankfully we aren't there yet.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: driftdiver on April 16, 2018, 06:43:22 pm
Thankfully we aren't there yet.

Oh but we are; bake that cake.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: driftdiver on April 16, 2018, 06:48:49 pm
Along with social media giants, online retail near monopolies, etc.

Facebook, Google, Amazon, come to mind.

The oils and railroads were broken up long ago, for reasons of unfair competition, monopoly, etc.

In this case, other banks can lend.

In the case of Facebook, there is no alternative of any significance, that I know of.

Facebook is apparently able to amass huge volumes of data on the target of advertising (their users) and then sell targeted advertising. Vertical integration.

When oil companies were broken up, it was for vertical integration--eg. from the wellhead to the gas tank, and everything in between.

The banks control so much money that they control significant parts of the economy.  I worked with one bank (a division) that processed treasuries.   Large transactions such as an airplane purchase or state payroll account.    They had individual systems which handled $500 Billion each and every day.  As a whole that division handled upwards of $13 trillion in transactions on a DAILY basis.  At the time that was roughly 30% of every dollar that changed hands in the country.

So big banks like this are a monopoly.  Sure you might be able to get a car loan or a house loan from the credit union but you aren't going handle anything big.   So between them these companies do act as a monopoly and their decisions have a significant impact on the country.

Same as with Facebook, Twitter or Google.   Many people don't understand the impact these tech companies can have.   If they choose to ban you then you cease to exist on the internet.    yes  your site may be running but unless someone types in the URL directly they will not see you.
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: txradioguy on April 16, 2018, 07:03:39 pm
Oh but we are; bake that cake.

Yeah I know it always starts somewhere.  But I've seen the ruling go both ways...for now.

But I'm not foolish enough to think that given the right environment there won't be a reminder to bakers hanging in every shop that "Failure to make or sell cakes to couples regardless of gender identification will result in a fine of no less than $250,000 and up to 2 years in prison".
Title: Re: Payback: GOP Targets Citibank’s $700B Government Contract Over Anti-2A Policies
Post by: To-Whose-Benefit? on April 16, 2018, 09:34:52 pm
Sweet. Agree that I'd rather see Citi taken down by its customers pulling out, but, this move by Congress Critters whether or not they actually Do anything is terrific PR to get those Citibank customers off their A##s and up to the 'Withdraw All of My Funds' window.