Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued the following statement on today’s executive order from President Donald Trump on ensuring fair banking for all Americans.
“Community banks are built to provide fair access to consumers given their long-standing and proven commitments to serving individuals, families, and small businesses in their communities with fairness, transparency, and personalized care. The community bank business model is rooted in local relationships and trust, not transaction volume or political motivations.
“As the Trump administration issues an executive order following previous account closures at large financial institutions, ICBA encourages policymakers to recognize the distinct nature of community banks and to preserve our industry’s ability to make risk-based banking decisions for the good of our local communities. We have long supported the ability of banks to make individualized decisions about customer relationships based on sound risk management and legal compliance, which must be left to the discretion of banks, not regulators.
“As part of that commitment, ICBA strongly opposed ‘Operation Choke Point’ initiatives under previous administrations, which aimed to discourage financial institutions from providing payments and deposit services to legal but politically disfavored industries. In the current Congress, we encourage lawmakers to pass the Fair Audits and Inspections for Regulators’ Exams Act (H.R. 8071), which would improve the bank examination environment by creating an independent and workable appeals process and introducing important checks and balances to the regulatory system.
“ICBA and the nation’s community bankers look forward to continued dialogue on this issue and remain committed to ensuring that regulatory or legislative efforts reflect the unique role and approach of community banks across the country.”
About ICBA
The Independent Community Bankers of America® has one mission: to create and promote an environment where community banks flourish. We power the potential of the nation’s community banks through effective advocacy, education, and innovation.
As local and trusted sources of credit, America’s community banks leverage their relationship-based business model and innovative offerings to channel deposits into the neighborhoods they serve, creating jobs, fostering economic prosperity, and fueling their customers’ financial goals and dreams. For more information, visit ICBA’s website at icba.org.