Six financial regulators are challenging the logic of a Senate bill (S. 3468) that would empower the President to direct their agencies (among others) to submit all proposed rules to the White House Office of Management and Budget for prior review. The bill, known as
AFR submitted a comment letter opposing the CFTC’s overly broad exemption for derivatives traded between bank affiliates.
AFR, The Leadership Conference, AFL-CIO, AFSCME, U.S. PIRG, Public Citizen, and Consumer Federation of America. While this legislation is an improvement on earlier versions of the bill, it still represents a significant weakening of taxpayer protections created by the Dodd-Frank Act to prevent fraud, abuse, and deception in Wall Street financial dealings with municipalities.
AFR joined more than 50 organizations and individuals in signing onto a letter opposing S. 3468. The Independent Regulatory Analysis Act (S.3468) is a far-ranging proposal that would create major changes and lead to significant delays in the work of independent agencies. As all the major financial regulatory agencies are independent agencies this would have a profound effect on the progress of financial reform at agencies ranging from the Federal Reserve to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
AFR sent a letter of opposition to members of Congress regarding S. 3468, The Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act, which would give the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) jurisdiction over all independent agencies in the federal government, including all of the financial regulatory agencies.
AFR signed onto a letter supporting the CFPB’s overseas remittances rule, which requires remittance transfer providers to provide essential information to consumers about the actual amount of money to be received by their family in the foreign country. The rule makes remittance providers liable for agents acting on their behalf and includes an error resolution procedure to resolve problems.
AFR sent a letter to members of Congress urging them to oppose H.R. 2446. This legislation will exempt payments related to homeowner warranties (also known as home service contracts) from the Real Estate Settlement Procedure Act’s ban on kickbacks and referral fees. We believe exempting payments related to these products from the ban on kickbacks and referral fees would be harmful to consumers.
AFR and CFA sent a letter endorsing S. 3416, a piece of legislation which would enable the SEC to impose more meaningful fines on those who violate the securities laws and perpetrate fraud.
AFR sent a letter to members of Congress urging them to oppose H.R. 6139. This legislation would weaken consumer protection against financial abuses, undermine the authority of the CFPB over a huge swath of consumer financial products and services, and override state consumer protection laws through preemption.
AFR sent a letter to members of Congress urging them to oppose H.R. 2827, This legislation would effectively eliminate new safeguards passed in the Dodd-Frank Act to protect taxpayers from financial exploitation. It must be rejected.