Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been slammed for planning an additional refinancing charge to cover COVID-related losses, but the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency defended the policy in House testimony.
Kathy Kraninger told the House Financial Services Committee that she supports proposed action to revamp the bureau's leadership framework following a major Supreme Court decision.
The House Financial Services Committee chair vowed to stay focused on the HEROES Act after the panel's top Republican said lawmakers should instead debate bills with bipartisan support.
While the resolution sends a message of disapproval of the OCC’s reform of the anti-redlining law, the Republican-controlled Senate is not expected to consider the measure.
The congressional showdown over the pace of rulemaking during the pandemic is a hardening of older positions on banking policy ahead of the 2020 elections, observers said.
The $2 trillion stimulus package, which the Senate passed days earlier, aims to expand Federal Reserve liquidity resources and provide financial institutions with some regulatory relief.
The COVID-19 pandemic has already given rise to false marketing of test kits and criminals impersonating the FDIC. Consumer advocates say the bureau could issue alerts as well as empower banks to help safeguard their customers’ funds.
The bank’s former chair expressed regret over comments attributed to her in a House report, while Democrats and Republicans butted heads over whether the hearing was necessary.
House Democrats maintained their criticism of the bank during Charlie Scharf's first hearing, but Republicans suggested it is on better footing now that many top leaders have been replaced.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reaffirmed his agency’s skepticism of a Community Reinvestment Act plan proposed by other regulators, and said the Fed has an important role to ensure banks “are resilient against the longer-term risks from climate change.”
