Law and regulation

The president's vow to come down hard on the San Francisco bank fans a debate about the independence of regulatory agencies such as the CFPB.

The short-term loan industry is suddenly playing offense in Washington following Mick Mulvaney's appointment as acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The president wrote Friday on Twitter that penalties against the San Francisco bank will be maintained, or possibly strengthened. The comments are likely to fuel a growing controversy about the independence of federal financial regulators.

Critics argue that the consumer bureau's independence is being undermined, and they worry that a precedent is being established that could hamper the autonomy of other U.S. financial regulators.

The 2018 gubernatorial race will be watched closely both by bankers and consumer advocates to see whether Cordray's leadership of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau becomes a campaign asset or a liability.

The nomination of Jelena McWilliams to chair the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. moves the Trump administration one step closer to completing its team of regulatory appointments in its push to undo former President Obama's post-crisis policies.

Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., and Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., drafted legislation that would set pay for CFPB employees in line with the federal government's pay scale known as the general schedule.

Brian Montgomery seems on his way to being confirmed to lead the Federal Housing Administration. But once he gets there, he may find it difficult to be as innovative as he was during his first stint as commissioner — particularly when it comes to reducing FHA premiums.

On his last day at the agency, Keith Noreika called for scaling back the Bank Holding Company Act, arguing that it burdens banks with duplicative regulation and restricts their economic potential.

Employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are privately questioning why outgoing director Richard Cordray abruptly tapped a 34-year-old chief of staff with no enforcement, supervisory or legal experience to head the embattled agency after he resigned.