Majority Press Releases
Brown Opening Statement at Insurance Oversight Hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing entitled “Current Issues in Insurance.”Sen. Brown’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, follow:Every American needs insurance - whether it’s auto insurance to protect us when we’re on the road, or homeowners’ insurance to protect the biggest investment for most families, or life insurance to cement your family… Continue Reading
September 7, 2022
Brown Hosts Consumers for Listening Session on New Financial Products
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, hosted a listening session with consumers from around the country. The consumers shared their experiences with new financial products, including how lack of transparency and risks undermines the dignity of work.“Debt products that are well-designed, transparent, and regulated can help workers pay off an unexpected car repair or help with the grocery bill or cove… Continue Reading
August 26, 2022
Brown Applauds PCAOB Efforts to Improve Transparency for Investors
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, Chair of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, released the following statement after the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) reached an agreement with authorities in China to allow the PCAOB to do critical inspections of audit records of public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong.“Today’s agreement sets the stage for long needed regulatory oversight. For too long, Chinese comp… Continue Reading
August 10, 2022
Brown Applauds FHFA for Requiring Mortgage Lenders and Servicers to Transfer Fair Lending Data
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, released the following statement applauding the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) announcement that it would require mortgage lenders and servicers to transmit fair lending information, including a borrower’s language preference, to loan servicers along with other loan information.“It’s common sense - if you’re talking with a homeowner or trying to help them ge… Continue Reading
August 9, 2022
Brown, Colleagues Applaud CRA Proposed Rule, Push for More Support for Underserved Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, led his colleagues in a letter to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Acting Chairman Martin Gruenberg, and Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu supporting the interagency proposal to update and strengthen the regulations implementing the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The senators recommended additional measur… Continue Reading
August 5, 2022
Brown Continues Push on Private Equity Firms' Involvement in the Insurance Industry
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, sent two letters asking for the continuing consideration of private equity’s growing role in the insurance industry. In follow-up letters to Steven Seitz, Director of the Treasury Federal Insurance Office (FIO), and Dean Cameron, President of the National Association of Insurance (NAIC), Brown made clear that FIO and NAIC need to continue their analysis of chang… Continue Reading
August 5, 2022
Brown and Reed Urge Greater Transparency in the Private Fund Market
Today, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chair of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), a senior member of the committee, sent a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler expressing support for its proposed rules for private fund advisers. The rules would enhance transparency in the private fund market and protect investors from conflicts and harmful practices.“[T]he Proposal would bring necessary and important transparency t… Continue Reading
August 4, 2022
Brown, Colleagues Call Out US Bank For Opening Fake Accounts
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, joined fellow Banking and Housing Committee members Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) in a letter to Andrew Cecere, CEO of U.S. Bank, requesting information about the bank’s use of consumer data to open unauthorized bank accounts. The letter comes after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) fined… Continue Reading
August 4, 2022
Brown: Climate Change is Here, We Must Act Now
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing entitled “Borrowed Time: The Economic Costs of Climate Change.”Sen. Brown’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, follow:Climate change is here - and the country knows it.It’s here for Ohio teachers and students forced to work in schools without air conditioning in 90-plus degree heat, for more and more days at … Continue Reading
August 2, 2022
Brown Calls Out Big Investors and Private Equity Companies For Harming Renters and Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing entitled “‘The Rent Eats First’: How Renters and Communities are Impacted by Today’s Housing Market.”Sen. Brown’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, follow:Yesterday was the first of the month. For millions of Americans, that means the rent was due.And for many renters, that rent keeps going up and up.Two wee… Continue Reading
July 28, 2022
Brown Presses Apple And Google On Protections Against Crypto App Fraud
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, sent letters to Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google, and Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, requesting information about the companies’ mobile application safeguards. Senator Brown’s letter comes on the heels of a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warning against fake cryptocurrency apps that have scammed hundreds of investors for losses of more than $42 million.“Cyber criminals … Continue Reading
July 28, 2022
Brown: Crypto Risks And Scams Put Americans' Money At Risk
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing entitled “Protecting Investors and Savers: Understanding Scams and Risks in Crypto and Securities Markets.”Sen. Brown’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, follow:Financial fraud and scams have always been with us. In fact, they’re older than money itself. Criminals have always found inventive ways to cheat pe… Continue Reading
July 27, 2022
Brown: Working Families Must Not Be Crushed in Our Fight Against Inflation
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, released the following statement after the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) announced an increase in interest rates:“When Wall Street and corporations run the economy, no matter what goes wrong, working people always pay the price,” said Brown. “Interest rate hikes alone, without action from the politicians who enabled the corporate concentration and outsourcing of su… Continue Reading
July 26, 2022
Brown, Colleagues Reintroduce Legislation to Fight Discrimination from Financial Institutions
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, along with Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Dianne Fe… Continue Reading
July 21, 2022
Brown: Too Many Americans Are Priced Out of the Housing Market
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing entitled “Priced Out: The State of Housing in America.”Sen. Brown’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, follow:You can’t open up a paper or turn on the news without hearing about housing - how much it costs, and how hard it is to find. The headlines tell the story.“The Housing Shortage Isn’t Just a Coastal Cri… Continue Reading
July 14, 2022
Brown: Export Controls Are Crucial to Weaken Russia
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing entitled “Advancing National Security and Foreign Policy Through Export Controls: Oversight of the Bureau of Industry and Security.Sen. Brown’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, follow:Today we welcome our witness, Alan Estevez, who serves as Under Secretary for Industry and Security at the Department of Com… Continue Reading
July 14, 2022
Brown Applauds Herrnstadt Confirmation to EXIM
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, released the following statement after the Senate confirmed Mr. Owen Herrnstadt to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States.“I applaud Owen Herrnstadt’s confirmation to the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank,” said Brown. “Mr. Herrnstadt has decades of experience advocating for American workers and manufacturers,… Continue Reading
July 13, 2022
Brown, Colleagues Urge Stronger Fed Ethics Rules
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chair of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, joined Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), in a letter to Chairman Jerome Powell of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve urging stronger investment and trading policies for Federal Reserve officials to improve accountability and transparency. In the letter, the Senators highlighted shortc… Continue Reading
July 13, 2022
Brown Urges Support For Michael Barr Ahead of Confirmation Votes
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today on the Senate Floor, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, called on his colleagues to support the nomination of Mr. Michael Barr to be a Member and the Vice Chair for Supervision of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. After Barr is confirmed, the Federal Reserve will be fully staffed for the first time in nearly a decade.Video of Senator Brown’s remarks is available here.Sen. Br… Continue Reading
July 12, 2022
Brown: Transit is All About the Dignity of Work
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing entitled “Advancing Public Transportation under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Update from the Federal Transit Administration.”Sen. Brown’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, follow:Last Thursday, I invited our witness, FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez, to Columbus to see the excitement in the community … Continue Reading
