Brendan Pedersen

In an exclusive interview, the moderate Virginia Democrat and co-chair of the Community Development Financial Institution Caucus touched on the future of community development, cybersecurity and nonbank regulation. 

Republican Sen. Pat Toomey criticized the degree of "opacity" surrounding some community benefit agreements, or written deals between banks and community groups ahead of a merger that often involve billions of dollars of commitments.

The $369 billion directed toward climate preparedness in the Inflation Reduction Act is expected to reverberate through the economy for years to come and could supercharge private investment in the nation's clean energy sector. 

A new bipartisan senate caucus organized around community development financial institutions is just the latest sign that the sector's political influence is reaching new heights. 

First introduced in 2020, the Fair Access to Financial Services Act would require banks to serve all customers in a manner similar to existing requirements for hotels and restaurants under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Sandra L. Thompson told lawmakers on Wednesday that the agency would consider “foundational questions about mission, purpose, and organization” of the Home Loan Bank System.

Led by Rep. French Hill, the group of conservative lawmakers said the agency must do more to ensure appropriate transparency regarding any new products or activities that the enterprises undertake.

Lawmakers on the Senate Banking Committee voiced some scattered support for changes to improve the finances of the National Flood Insurance Program, but comprehensive reform appears out of reach. 

Several Democratic bills to support down-payment assistance for mortgage borrowers and other housing programs met with protests from Republicans, who said the legislation would further fuel inflation. The GOP maneuvers failed, but they highlighted the parties’ differing priorities ahead of the midterm elections.

Wells Fargo, U.S. Bancorp, Truist Financial and PNC Financial were among the banks that said they are raising their prime lending rates from 4.0% to 4.75%.

The hearing would have featured debate on a number of housing bills, along with a measure to block commercial firms from owning industrial banks and new limits on overdraft fees. House Financial Services Committee Chair Maxine Waters has tested positive twice since April.

All five of the Biden administration's nominees received enough votes to secure passage to the Senate floor. Chair Sherrod Brown of Ohio called the moment "historic."

The West Virginia Democrat released a statement Monday saying that Sarah Bloom Raskin, President Biden's nominee to serve as the Federal Reserve's top regulator, "failed to satisfactorily address my concerns" and that he would not support her. Manchin's "no" vote puts her confirmation very much in doubt.

The Federal Reserve's capital guidance for S corporations is hindering some community development banks' access to the Treasury's $9 billion Emergency Capital Investment Program. The Fed has offered exemptions in the past, so why isn't it doing so now?

A federal judge last week upheld "valid when made" rules that support such arrangements. But analysts say an appeals fight is likely, and new leadership at the OCC and FDIC could change the agencies' view of interest rate exportation across state lines.

The White House's pick for vice chair for supervision, Sarah Bloom Raskin, took the brunt of criticism from Republicans on Thursday. But it seemed to do little to sow doubt among the Senate Banking Committee's moderate Democrats about Raskin or fellow nominees Lisa Cook and Philip Jefferson.

Republicans have knocked Sarah Bloom Raskin as too liberal on climate change and Lisa Cook as underqualified ahead of a Senate Banking Committee hearing Thursday. Meanwhile, a Democratic senator's illness threatens to stall nomination votes in the full chamber.

The Federal Reserve, FDIC, OCC and CFPB — increasingly under the leadership of Democratic appointees — are gearing up to regulate cryptocurrency, modernize the Community Reinvestment Act and give consumers more control of their personal data. Here's a look at the policy changes they're mulling.

The Federal Reserve Board would become far more diverse if Sarah Bloom Raskin, Philip Jefferson and Lisa Cook are confirmed by the Senate. Jefferson and Cook are respected economists seen as likely to get the nod, but Republicans will challenge Raskin's assertions that bank regulators can play a vital role in combating climate change.

The Trump-appointed head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Jelena McWilliams, said she plans to leave the agency in early February. The announcement comes weeks after Democratic appointees making up a majority of the board had threatened her leadership by acting on policy related to bank mergers without her consent.