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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The National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions' new campaign highlights $243 billion in fines slapped on Wall Street banks. The group says it's responding to political attacks, but the banking industry says NAFCU is trying to distract from criticism of its tax exemption.
December 13 - AB - Policy & Regulation
If the Democratic majority on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s board succeeds in advancing a review of bank merger policy — over the disapproval of Chair Jelena McWilliams — progressive regulators could be emboldened to push for more substantive reforms.
December 10 -
The United States is threatening to curtail transactions into and out of Russia to discourage it from invading Ukraine. The standoff heightens existing friction between U.S. payments companies and Moscow, which could impose new restrictions on them in response to sanctions.
December 10 -
The banking industry, which often questions aggressive moves by the agency, urged the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to level the regulatory playing field between the financial and technology sectors.
December 9 - AB - Policy & Regulation
In an unprecedented move, two Democrats on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s board said they had approved a review of the policy without the consent of Trump-appointed Chair Jelena McWilliams. The agency released a statement saying the action had no legal standing.
December 9 -
Lawmakers approved legislation designed to protect trillions of dollars of assets when the London interbank offered rate expires.
December 8 - AB - Policy & Regulation
Executives representing leading cryptocurrency firms such as Circle and FTX told Congress that some federal oversight of their industry is worthwhile, but they criticized a recent report by a Biden administration working group recommending that stablecoin issuance be limited to FDIC-insured banks.
December 8
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Efforts by individual states to rewrite existing rules governing interstate bank lending risk throwing the entire system into chaos. Only Congress has the ability to reestablish a workable set of national rules.
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The new law's reciprocal and custodial deposit provisions recognize what the evidence has shown for two decades. They should spur, not substitute for, the broader work of protecting America's depositors.
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As written, new capital standards for U.S. banks fail to account for the additional risk posed by many home loan clients who obtain second mortgages. Fixing the problem will significantly reduce the rule's benefit to banks.

















