Politics

The nomination hearing for Saule Omarova featured sharp questioning from members of both parties, raising further doubts about her chances of getting confirmed. The industry views her as too anti-business to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

JPMorgan Chase was removed on Thursday from a $700 million Louisiana municipal bond deal after the bank’s stance on guns drew criticism from state Republican officials.

The Independent Community Bankers of America made the rare move of urging senators not to confirm Saule Omarova to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The group argued that some of her proposals could have drastic consequences for the industry.

Citigroup won a municipal-bond deal in Texas on Wednesday, marking its potential re-entry into a booming corner of the municipal-debt market after a new Republican state law sought to punish Wall Street banks for their gun policies.

No matter the outcome of the confirmation battle over Saule Omarova — the Biden administration nominee for comptroller of the currency whom many bankers view as too liberal — policymakers must still resolve this fundamental question: Are banks public utilities or private companies with special privileges?

Republicans on the House Small Business Committee question the wisdom of having the Small Business Administration depart from its traditional model of backing loans made by private-sector lenders. But agency Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman says the plan is necessary to fill "large gaps" in credit availability to the smallest companies.

Saule Omarova faces an uphill climb to confirmation as comptroller of the currency over concerns that she supports more government control of the banking system. Her hearing before the Banking Committee could be a make-or-break moment, observers say.

The consumer bureau is asking for comment on whether the rule implementing the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act is meeting its stated goals of detecting discrimination in mortgage lending.

Graham Steele, a strong proponent of safeguarding the financial system against climate risks, was approved by a 53-42 vote as assistant secretary for financial institutions at the Treasury Department.

Advocates negotiating with the Minneapolis bank also want commitments for mortgage assistance and payouts to financial nonprofits. The pressure for Federal Reserve hearings coincides with Biden administration calls for more scrutiny of big bank mergers.

GOP opposition and a packed Senate agenda have delayed the vote on Julia Gordon as head of the Federal Housing Administration. But industry representatives say that with FHA delinquency rates still elevated and loan forbearance plans expiring, there's an urgency for Congress to confirm her by year-end.

In his new book, “Shutdown: How Covid Shook the World’s Economy,” the historian Adam Tooze argues that the Federal Reserve's interventions preserved a flawed economic status quo. But it still isn't clear what the central bank could have done differently.

Saule Omarova is scheduled to appear before the Banking Committee as progressives cheer her potential appointment to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and critics describe her views as too radical. Her confirmation would rely on the support of every Democrat in the chamber.

In a letter to the agency’s new director, top Senate Democrats recommended policy steps intended to limit mistakes in consumers’ credit files that they said “can ruin lives.”

The OCC is expected by year-end to issue high-level guidance for banks on assessing how they contribute to climate change and how it impacts them. The agency and other regulators may next consider further actions, such as giving Community Reinvestment Act credit for financing environment-friendly projects and even more rigorous stress tests, analysts say.

The Federal Reserve is mulling changes to a key capital measure for big banks, rulings on several merger applications and other actions. How it ultimately decides those matters will depend largely on whom President Biden appoints as head of the central bank and to other leadership positions.

Citigroup says it’s prepared to restart its public-finance business in Texas after halting the operations in the wake of a new Republican law in the state that sought to bar it and other banks from such work as punishment for restrictive gun policies.

Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard was interviewed for the top job at the U.S. central bank when she visited the White House last week, according to people familiar with the discussions. She and Fed Chair Jerome Powell are the only people who have publicly surfaced as being in the running for the post.

Directors can urge executives to move more quickly in gauging their institutions’ vulnerability to extreme weather events, said acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu. He offered a list of five questions every board member should ask senior leaders about their progress.

Randal Quarles, who oversaw an easing of post-financial crisis rules as the Federal Reserve’s vice chair of supervision, announced he will resign at the end of this year. His departure will leave President Biden with another open seat to fill on the central bank’s board.