Speaking at the American Bankers Association's Washington summit last week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the Treasury's plans to play a greater role in financial regulation, as reported by Banking Dive.
Bessent said the Treasury will prioritize "regulatory tailoring" to ensure that community banks "matter more in bank regulation." He criticized regulatory overreach, stating, "Bureaucratic hubris has escaped the beltway... Our goal is to put it back in its cage." A key priority for the Treasury is to refocus supervision on material financial risks, Bessent said. "Regulators should keep the main thing the main thing," he asserted.
He also pledged to change the culture of supervision by improving exam procedures, tightening oversight of examiner compliance, and introducing "more realistic processes" for banks to appeal supervisory findings. And, notably, he denounced regulatory secrecy. "Most glaringly, regulation through supervision has too often taken place behind a veil of secrecy that precludes scrutiny by the public and their elected officials," Bessent said.
Bessent outlined plans to modernize capital requirements, reduce burdens on community banks, and review liquidity rules. The Treasury will also revisit anti-money laundering regulations, explore reforms to deposit insurance and bank resolution, and assess emerging technologies like blockchain and stablecoins.
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