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Potential Overhaul of Banking Oversight Under Trump Administration
President-elect Donald Trump, along with his advisory team, is contemplating significant changes to the United States’ financial regulatory framework, potentially weakening or even dismantling major banking authorities such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the transition team, alongside Elon Musk’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency, has been questioning potential leaders for the FDIC and OCC about the possibility of eliminating these watchdog agencies. The idea is to integrate their roles into the Treasury Department, soon to be headed by a billionaire hedge fund mogul with a keen interest in cryptocurrency.
While the banking industry’s leaders are hopeful that Trump will relax regulations that govern capital reserves and consumer protections, and reduce oversight on industry mergers, the notion of tampering with the FDIC’s deposit insurance is causing concern. Such insurance is deeply ingrained as a protective measure for depositors, and any perceived threat to it could destabilize confidence in the banking system, particularly in times of crisis.
Trump’s team is reportedly considering a broader plan that echoes Project 2025’s suggestion to consolidate several regulatory bodies, including merging the OCC, FDIC, National Credit Union Administration, and certain regulatory functions of the Federal Reserve into a single entity.
The FDIC was founded during the Great Depression to rebuild public confidence in banks, and it played a pivotal role during the banking crises of 2023. Experts have cautioned that stripping these agencies of their powers could lead to severe economic repercussions.
Tech journalist Jacob Silverman expressed his concerns vividly, tweeting, “The next recession starts here,” in reaction to developments reported by the Journal.
Historian Eric Rauchway pointed out that even conservative economist Milton Friedman valued the FDIC, indicating the radical nature of the proposed changes by the incoming administration.
Moreover, Elon Musk, who is leading the charge on government efficiency, supports scrapping the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), an organization formed after the 2008 financial meltdown to shield consumers from predatory financial practices.
The Wall Street Journal also highlighted that Rep. Andy Barr, a Kentucky Republican and Trump’s supporter on the House Financial Services Committee, advocates for eliminating or extensively modifying the CFPB. He opposes what he describes as ‘one-size-fits-all’ bank regulations. Barr, who has received substantial financial backing from the banking sector, has pushed for numerous laws favoring the industry, including major rollbacks of safeguards established post-2008 crisis, reveals watchdog group Accountable.US.
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