Crapo: Bold Regulatory Reforms Can Help Small Banks Survive

American Banker
Friday, October 17, 2014

In an op-ed, Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) urged regulatory reform to reduce the burden on small banks. "Institutions are faced with a choice: shift resources around to accommodate regulatory compliance, or pass the compliance cost on to consumers. Whether the bank decides to close a local branch or stop offering free checking accounts, consumers lose in either scenario," Crapo wrote. Crapo called on regulators to hold a series of outreach meetings with community bankers around the country leading up to regulators' upcoming review of burdensome banking regulations. Crapo also urged the appointing of a director of the review process who could overrule the objections of individual agencies and resolve interagency disputes.