Banking and Finance Law Daily Wrap Up, BANKING OPERATIONS—ABA lobbies Congress to adopt its banking policy priorities, (Jan 22, 2026)

Organizations Mentioned:American Bankers Association

By A. Bryan Gerepka

The group called on Congress and the Trump administration to embrace policy priorities in 2026 that will drive economic growth, combat fraud, and encourage the development of diverse business banking models.

In its 2026 Blueprint for Growth, the Ameri ...

By A. Bryan Gerepka

In its 2026 Blueprint for Growth, the American Bankers Association (ABA) outlined several policies to support the economy, expand access to credit, and increase competition in the financial sector. The group stated that its “ABA Blueprint for 2026 and Beyond” will shape the association’s ongoing engagement with Congress and the administration to address the challenges in the banking sector, the ABA stated. The Blueprint—released Jan. 20, 2026—was developed by ABA’s Government Relations Council.

“Our new Blueprint for Growth is guided by input from banks of all sizes and business models, providing important strategic direction as we work to advance policies that bolster the economy, expand access to credit and enhance competition in the financial services marketplace so banks can better meet the needs of their customers, clients and communities nationwide,” ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols said.

The group urged lawmakers to address the following challenges, including stablecoin arbitrage of bank deposits, fraud, excessive and outdated regulations, and limits on banking innovations.

Bolster the economy to empower households, small businesses. Banks drive economic growth by supporting households and small businesses in every community, the ABA stated, and urged Congress to take the following actions to protect banks:

Protect local lending: Stop payment stablecoins from becoming deposit substitutes by prohibiting paying interest, yield, or rewards regardless of the platform.
Fraud: Work across industries and sectors to pursue an “all of government” approach to combat financial fraud to protect consumers and reduce the number of Americans who fall victim to scams.
Indexing: Modernize outdated regulatory thresholds by linking them to economic growth, reducing unnecessary burdens, and allow regulators to focus on actual risk.
Rate caps: Prevent arbitrary limits on interest rates that restrict access to credit and harm consumers by reducing choice and increasing costs.
Mission-driven banks: Support the efforts of Minority Depository Institutions and Community Development Financial Institutions to revitalize communities and encourage entrepreneurship.

Refocus regulation to expand access to credit, capital. Excessive regulation can restrict access to credit and credit availability, limiting consumer choice, slowing economic growth, and threatening financial stability. ABA urged Congress and regulators to right-size regulations:

Small business lending data collection (Section 1071): Support small business lending by backing the CFPB’s revised proposal, while still urging congressional repeal of Section 1071.
Open banking (Section 1033): Develop a revised rule that protects consumers, promotes innovation, and ensures a level playing field across the financial ecosystem.
Interchange (Durbin Amendment): Oppose credit card routing mandates like S.3623 and H.R.7035, the so-called Credit Card Competition Act, and urge the Federal Reserve to withdraw its debit card price control proposal that would increase costs for consumers.
SAFER Banking: Enact legislation that enables state-sanctioned cannabis businesses to access regulated financial services, thereby improving public safety and enhancing transparency for regulators, tax authorities, and law enforcement.
Supervision: Streamline supervisory processes to focus on risk-based oversight, reduce unnecessary documentation, and promote clarity for banks and regulators.

Enhance competition across financial services. Banks adhere to safety and soundness standards and are subject to government oversight. However, the ABA continued, regulators must apply “like-kind” regulation to “like-kind” activity to avoid distortions such as price controls or subsidies, and enhance competition across financial services. Policymakers should:

Non-bank access to banking infrastructure: Apply consistent standards and incorporate strong safeguards, such as restricting nonbank access to Fed accounts and closing nonfinancial loopholes, to preserve financial stability and consumer protection.
Deposit insurance: Ensure the deposit insurance and resolutions framework provides clear emergency authority, data-driven coverage, and assessment standards that maintain fund stability and resolution processes that balance “least cost” principles with systemic stability.
De novos: Remove barriers to new bank formation by facilitating a timely, transparent, and tailored approval process that promotes competition.
Credit unions: Conduct oversight to determine whether credit unions fulfill their mandate to serve those of modest means in a way that justifies their tax advantages and exemptions from certain disclosure and regulatory requirements.
National bank preemption: Defend the dual banking system from states’ efforts to assert authority over basic operations of national banks, including decisions about deposit taking, lending, and risk management.

Companies: American Bankers Association

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Banking and Finance Law Daily Wrap Up, BANKING OPERATIONS—ABA lobbies Congress to adopt its banking policy priorities, (Jan 22, 2026)

Organizations Mentioned:American Bankers Association

By A. Bryan Gerepka

In its 2026 Blueprint for Growth, the Ameri ...

By A. Bryan Gerepka

The group urged lawmakers to address the following challenges, including stablecoin arbitrage of bank deposits, fraud, excessive and outdated regulations, and limits on banking innovations.

Bolster the economy to empower households, small businesses. Banks drive economic growth by supporting households and small businesses in every community, the ABA stated, and urged Congress to take the following actions to protect banks:

Protect local lending: Stop payment stablecoins from becoming deposit substitutes by prohibiting paying interest, yield, or rewards regardless of the platform.
Fraud: Work across industries and sectors to pursue an “all of government” approach to combat financial fraud to protect consumers and reduce the number of Americans who fall victim to scams.
Indexing: Modernize outdated regulatory thresholds by linking them to economic growth, reducing unnecessary burdens, and allow regulators to focus on actual risk.
Rate caps: Prevent arbitrary limits on interest rates that restrict access to credit and harm consumers by reducing choice and increasing costs.
Mission-driven banks: Support the efforts of Minority Depository Institutions and Community Development Financial Institutions to revitalize communities and encourage entrepreneurship.

Refocus regulation to expand access to credit, capital. Excessive regulation can restrict access to credit and credit availability, limiting consumer choice, slowing economic growth, and threatening financial stability. ABA urged Congress and regulators to right-size regulations:

Small business lending data collection (Section 1071): Support small business lending by backing the CFPB’s revised proposal, while still urging congressional repeal of Section 1071.
Open banking (Section 1033): Develop a revised rule that protects consumers, promotes innovation, and ensures a level playing field across the financial ecosystem.
Interchange (Durbin Amendment): Oppose credit card routing mandates like S.3623 and H.R.7035, the so-called Credit Card Competition Act, and urge the Federal Reserve to withdraw its debit card price control proposal that would increase costs for consumers.
SAFER Banking: Enact legislation that enables state-sanctioned cannabis businesses to access regulated financial services, thereby improving public safety and enhancing transparency for regulators, tax authorities, and law enforcement.
Supervision: Streamline supervisory processes to focus on risk-based oversight, reduce unnecessary documentation, and promote clarity for banks and regulators.

Enhance competition across financial services. Banks adhere to safety and soundness standards and are subject to government oversight. However, the ABA continued, regulators must apply “like-kind” regulation to “like-kind” activity to avoid distortions such as price controls or subsidies, and enhance competition across financial services. Policymakers should:

Non-bank access to banking infrastructure: Apply consistent standards and incorporate strong safeguards, such as restricting nonbank access to Fed accounts and closing nonfinancial loopholes, to preserve financial stability and consumer protection.
Deposit insurance: Ensure the deposit insurance and resolutions framework provides clear emergency authority, data-driven coverage, and assessment standards that maintain fund stability and resolution processes that balance “least cost” principles with systemic stability.
De novos: Remove barriers to new bank formation by facilitating a timely, transparent, and tailored approval process that promotes competition.
Credit unions: Conduct oversight to determine whether credit unions fulfill their mandate to serve those of modest means in a way that justifies their tax advantages and exemptions from certain disclosure and regulatory requirements.
National bank preemption: Defend the dual banking system from states’ efforts to assert authority over basic operations of national banks, including decisions about deposit taking, lending, and risk management.

Companies: American Bankers Association