Financial Services Report (4/19)

Looking Ahead Near Term The House and Senate are in session this week.  The House is taking up a series of bills related to law enforcement and is expected to take up the Agriculture Bill (H.R. 2), which includes controversial provisions dealing with food assistance – a/k/a SNAP. At the House Financial Services Committee, it […]

Looking Ahead Near Term The House and Senate are in Recess Next week Further Out A deal on the Reg Reform bill? The House is expected to consider the Congressional Review Act vote on the CFPB Guidance on fair lending in the auto industry the week of May 7th.

Looking Ahead Near Term The House will take up the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill this week.  While the bill has little to do with day to day financial services policy it is a “must-pass” bill and therefor has been on the short list of bills that could serve as a vehicle for Chairman […]

Our Take Much has been made over the past few weeks about the stock market’s volatility.   While the market seemed to spend much of 2017 in a straight upward trajectory, since January the major indices have been marked by tremendous swings in both directions, with some analysts attributing the instability to the ad hoc nature […]

Our Take While the adage about March is that it comes in like a lion and out like a lamb, for those covering financial services issues, it seems like the month came in like a hurricane and left like a man angry at an old rival.  In between, the Democratic Caucus frayed over the banking […]

Looking Ahead Near Term The House and Senate race to complete a spending bill as the Friday, March 23rd deadline for current funding to expire quickly approaches.  Reportedly the text of the proposal is supposed to be released Monday evening, though it is possible it could slip.  It is also possible that negotiations could fail.  […]

Our Take Last week was one of the busiest for those whose work covers the financial services industry and Congress as the Senate began its debate on a regulatory relief package (a/k/a the Bank Lobbyist Act for those readers on the left).   It also may have been the unofficial start of the 2020 Democratic Presidential […]

Our Take Dating back to 1862, and every year since 1886, the Senate has read President George Washington’s Farewell address.  It is worth reading and thinking about our first President’s writing – both for its sage advice, but also as a reminder that many of the political ills that cloud our government today date back […]

Looking Ahead Near Term The Senate floor will be consumed by the immigration effort, and there are no hearings scheduled in the Banking Committee. There are two major financial services bills coming up on the floor of the House.  First is the so-called “TRID” bill that will amend the CFPB’s rule for mortgage disclosure.  Second, […]

Looking Ahead Near Term On Tuesday the President will deliver his first State of the Union.  In addition to selling the tax reform bill he is expected to talk about how the economy (i.e., the stock market) is booming.  It would not be surprising if he talks about his plan for infrastructure investment, as well […]

Our Take This weekend marked the one-year anniversary of the Trump Administration.   To quote those great American poets, what a long strange trip it’s been.  The President campaigned on running our government in a very different manner and he certainly has delivered.  This past weekend saw funding for the federal government run out due to […]

Our Take Welcome to 2018!  Hard to believe but there are only 303 days between now and the mid-term elections.   As has been the case of late, Congress starts the year looking to finish many of the issues that were punted at the end of last year – such as a long-term funding bill, a […]