Banking Politics & Policy News
American Banker's Politics & Policy coverage delivers news and analysis on how legislative action, federal agency rulemaking, regulatory politics, and public policy debates shape banking strategy, risk, competition, and compliance. Coverage explores congressional priorities, executive branch initiatives, regulatory agency actions, and the political forces that shape and impact the operating environment for financial institutions, payments companies, fintechs and distributed finance companies.
Bank leaders must navigate a dynamic policy environment where congressional action, regulatory priorities, and political forces influence capital standards, supervisory expectations, digital asset frameworks, deposit insurance, consumer rules, and competitive dynamics.
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A former senior advisor at the Federal Reserve Board was arrested and charged with economic espionage for conspiring to steal trade secrets and sell them to China for $450,000.
February 3
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The president directed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Howard Lutnick, the nominee for Commerce secretary, to create the fund, following through on an idea Trump floated during his campaign.
February 3
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who was named to be acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has told the agency's staff to put a halt to all rules, enforcement actions and hiring.
February 3
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The president has named Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on an acting basis after firing CFPB Director Rohit Chopra over the weekend.
February 3
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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Rohit Chopra in a letter to President Donald Trump confirmed that his "term as CFPB Director has concluded."
February 1
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State banking associations across the country said that Michelle Bowman should be the Federal Reserve vice chair for supervision, not least because she already sits on the Fed board and could start immediately.
January 31
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The Trump administration's Office of Personnel Management sent a memo of frequently asked questions encouraging civil servants to go on vacation and even take a second job, which in some instances is contrary to longstanding agency conflict-of-interest rules.
January 31
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As stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies enter the mainstream, lawmakers in Illinois have imposed a new transaction tax on digital assets. It will raise costs for everyday consumers and drive away businesses.
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Yes, banks' capital burden will decline, leaving more potential funds available for lending. But the big question is which banks will find a way to deploy those funds to generate meaningful returns.
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Restrictions that limit access to private market investments are harmful to ordinary investors, who are denied better returns. They also seal off a large potential source of funding for long-term infrastructure investments.
