On the recordMarch 8, 2018
I rise again today to speak further on S. 2155, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act. We have had a lot of discussion on the floor about this bill in the last few days. Anybody who took the opportunity to watch all of that debate sees that there is a strong bipartisan support for this bill and a strong debate coming from some quarters trying to say that the bill creates greater risk in our financial community. I would like to address exactly what this bill does and then respond to some of those charges, which I consider to be completely unfounded. The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act is aimed at rightsizing regulation for financial institutions-- including community banks and credit unions--making it easier for consumers to get mortgages and to obtain credit. I have said a number of times, and I will repeat, back when we were debating the Dodd-Frank legislation about 10 years ago, it was marketed to the public as a bill to address excesses and problems on Wall Street by the big megabanks of our country, but its provisions hit hardest on Main Street. As I have said, I actually held a news conference in Boise, ID--in my home State--on Main Street. I said the crosshairs of this bill and the bulls-eye are on Main Street, not Wall Street. What has happened in the last 10 years? The Wall Street banks have been phenomenally profitable.…





