
Victoria Finkle
BankThink EditorVictoria Finkle is deputy Washington bureau chief and editor of American Banker's op-ed blog, BankThink.

Victoria Finkle is deputy Washington bureau chief and editor of American Banker's op-ed blog, BankThink.
The fate of low-income and minority families under housing finance reform remains at the heart of negotiations over a Senate bill, highlighting a longstanding split between advocates pushing for affordable rental options and those urging access to homeownership.
The Senate Banking Committee continued negotiations over the weekend on landmark legislation to overhaul the mortgage finance system, but it still remains unclear when, or if, panel leaders will reschedule a key vote on the bill.
The future of housing finance reform remains in limbo on Tuesday, after Senate Banking Committee leaders postponed a key vote on legislation to unwind Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
The Senate Banking Committee will delay a vote on its highly anticipated legislation to overhaul the housing finance market, a Senate aide confirmed Tuesday morning, just hours before the markup was scheduled to begin.
Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and David Vitter, R-La., filed a handful of "too big to fail" amendments Friday to a pending Senate Banking Committee bill to overhaul the housing finance market.
Senate Banking Committee leaders want to win as much support as possible for their housing finance reform legislation before a panel vote on Tuesday, but it's possible that a failure to win over certain members could ultimately assist their cause.
The Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to proceed Tuesday with a highly anticipated vote on a bill to overhaul the housing finance market.
Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., is urging the House Committee on Oversight and Reform to investigate why regulators abruptly ended the independent foreclosure review and settled with banks last year.
A coalition of more than two dozen conservative groups sent a letter to members of the Senate Banking Committee Wednesday, urging them to vote against a major bill to overhaul the housing finance market.
A powerful group of shareholders is amplifying attacks on housing finance reform legislation as they await resolution of a major legal battle, attempting to slow momentum on the bill before it likely passes the Senate Banking Committee.
The Obama administration is urging housing advocates to stand behind legislation to overhaul the housing finance market, ahead of a Senate Banking Committee vote scheduled for the end of April.
The Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to vote on its bill to overhaul the mortgage finance market on April 29, but questions are now being raised about whether that date will slip, as supporters struggle to secure additional votes.
Rep. Maxine Waters' plan to overhaul the mortgage finance market may be dead-on-arrival in the House, but it is still likely to help determine the fate of a separate Senate bill seen as the leading congressional attempt to enact reform.
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., unveiled a new plan Thursday to overhaul the housing finance market, entering what's becoming a crowded field of proposals to restructure the mortgage system.
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp is striking an optimistic tone for mortgage finance reform, saying shes hopeful that a Senate Banking Committee plan to overhaul the market could make it to the chamber floor for a vote this year.
A coalition of advocacy groups announced their opposition Friday to a bill by Senate Banking Committee leaders to overhaul the housing finance system, citing concerns about market access for low-income and minority families.
Details in recent legislation unveiled by Sens. Tim Johnson and Mike Crapo are stoking fresh concerns among Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shareholders now embroiled in lawsuits over their share of profits from the mortgage giants.
The Senate Banking Committee has forged a strong bipartisan agreement to reform the housing finance market, but howand whetherthat effort gets picked up in 2015 is still very much in question.
Rep. Gary Miller, R-Calif., introduced legislation Wednesday to curb efforts by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to lower Federal Housing Administration loan limits.
Sens. Tim Johnson, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, and Mike Crapo, the top Republican, received an overall warm welcome to their agreement on housing finance reform released Tuesday, after months of negotiation.