Over 100 House Republicans demand credit card companies answer about categorizing gun sales

More than 100 House Republicans are demanding answers from Visa, Mastercard and American Express after the credit card companies announced plans to categorize sales at gun stores.

In a letter Wednesday led by number three House Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), the GOP members of Congress said the implementation of a special Merchant Category Code is "an assault on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding American citizens."

The House Republicans said the firearm-specific classification is "in apparent submission to the desires of liberal activists and politicians who seek to erode the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding American citizens."

The members of Congress are pressing credit card companies for information about how they will flag transactions and whether they solicited input from firearm industry experts.

The NRA applauded Stefanik for her work on the issue. 

"She has correctly identified this decision as a capitulation to anti-gun politicians and gun control activists who are determined to create a national gun owner registry and stifle lawful firearm purchases under the guise of reducing violent crime," said Jason Ouimet, executive director of the NRA's lobbying arm, NRA-ILA.