Senate Banking Committee

There’s bipartisan consensus that the conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are unsustainable, but that may not be enough for lawmakers to upend the current system.

Revised legislation would exclude credit unions from Community Reinvestment Act requirements, but could make the National Credit Union Administration the de facto enforcer of how CUs meet the needs of underserved markets.

The Senate Banking Committee will hold two hearings at the end of March on Chairman Mike Crapo’s most recent framework for housing finance reform.

The 2020 presidential hopeful removed the contentious provision from a previous version of the bill that had won praise from bankers but sparked fierce opposition from credit unions.

In remarks to credit unions, the Senate Banking Committee Chairman said that fixing the government-sponsored enterprises and data security were priorities.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said "the best place for me to continue fighting for Ohio and for the dignity of workers ... is to stay in the U.S. Senate."

If confirmed to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Mark Calabria would have a central role in any efforts to reform the government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

The Senate Banking Committee's vote on Mark Calabria's nomination to lead the agency comes amid speculation about congressional and administrative GSE reform plans.

The administration’s choice to regulate the government-sponsored enterprises appeared to distance himself from speculation that the White House may try to overhaul housing finance without legislation.

Industry observers will be closely monitoring Mark Calabria's testimony before the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday for hints about how the Trump administration plans to proceed on mortgage finance reform.

The Senate Banking Committee will examine the nomination of Mark Calabria to oversee the regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as nominees for the NCUA board and Treasury.

After the State of the Union speech Tuesday night, members of the House and Senate banking committees said they were intent on trying to address the biggest unresolved piece of financial services policy: housing finance reform.

Despite the release of Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo's outline of a government-sponsored enterprise reform plan, most policy changes will likely come from the White House, and may even materialize this year, said Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.

Just as the Trump administration appears focused on releasing a framework without Congress, the Senate Banking Committee has re-entered the policy fray with a new proposal.

The Senate Banking Committee chairman released an outline for overhauling the U.S. housing finance system more than 10 years after the government put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship.

The agency's acting director said he welcomes lawmakers' “insight and perspective” on how to end the conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Fixing the housing finance system is "the last piece of unaddressed business from the financial crisis," according to a summary of to-do items released by the Banking Committee's chairman.

The process to confirm Mark Calabria as FHFA director could be lengthy, forcing the White House to consider how it will proceed with housing finance reform under Joseph Otting as acting head of the agency.

The White House confirmed that it plans to nominate Mark Calabria as the next director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

The end of one-party rule in Washington could move the needle on efforts to devise a new housing finance framework.