Majority Press Releases

July 20, 2021

Brown Applauds Interagency Work on New Community Reinvestment Act Rule

Today, Sen. Sherrod Brown - Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, released the following statement after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) announced it is rescinding its Trump-era Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) rule and will work on a new rule with the Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The Federal Reserve, FDIC, and OCC also released a joint statement that they are working together on a new proposed CRA r… Continue Reading


July 20, 2021

Brown: As Climate Change Fuels Disasters, We Must Shore Up Our Nation’s Infrastructure

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 “21st Century Communities: Climate Change, Resilience, and Reinsurance.”Sen. Brown’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, follow:This morning the Banking and Housing Committee again looks at the ways climate change puts the American economy and American communities at risk. Earlier, we examined the ways big banks’ focus … Continue Reading


July 19, 2021

Brown Statement on the Nomination of Judith Pryor to Be First Vice President of the Export-import Bank (EXIM)

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) - Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs - released the following statement after the Biden Administration announced the nomination of Judith D. Pryor, a native of Richmond Heights, Ohio, to be First Vice President of EXIM. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May of 2019:“I am pleased the President has nominated Judith Pryor to be First Vice President of EXIM. T… Continue Reading


July 19, 2021

Brown Statement on the Nomination of Graham Steele to Be Assistant Secretary of Financial Institutions at Treasury

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) - Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs - released the following statement after the Biden Administration announced the nomination of Graham Steele to be Assistant Secretary of Financial Institutions at the Department of Treasury. Steele worked for Chair Brown as Legislative Assistant for 5 years before serving as Minority Chief Counsel for the Senate Banking and Housing Committee. He also served as Staff Director of the Subco… Continue Reading


July 16, 2021

Brown Applauds FHFA Action to Lower Refinancing Costs for Homeowners

Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, applauded Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Acting Director Sandra Thompson for rescinding the additional 50 basis point adverse market fee charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) for all refinance loans. Senator Brown led a group of 15 Senate Democrats last year in urging the Enterprises to reconsider their decision to charge this new fee, particularly during… Continue Reading


July 15, 2021

Brown to Fed Chair Powell: Workers – Not Wall Street – Should Benefit From the Economic Growth They’ve Made Possible

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 “Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to Congress.”Sen. Brown’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, follow:Today, our economy is growing because of the American Rescue Plan and the Biden-Harris Administration’s leadership.We’re putting shots in arms and money in pockets. Families have a little bit extra to help pay the bil… Continue Reading


July 13, 2021

Brown Chairs Hearing for Two Key Biden Administration Nominees

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 nominations hearing for Arun Venkataraman to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service; and Damon Y. Smith to be General Counsel of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).Sen. Brown’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, follow:The hearing will come to order… Continue Reading


June 30, 2021

President Signs Van Hollen, Brown Legislation to Strike Down Trump-era “Rent-A-Bank” Rule

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) applauded President Biden’s signing of their resolution into law to repeal the Trump Administration’s so-called True Lender Rule through the use of the Congressional Review Act. This regulation, finalized in the last months of the prior Administration, allows predatory lenders to skirt state laws meant to curb interest rates on … Continue Reading


June 28, 2021

Brown Applauds CFPB Action to Protect Homeowners From Foreclosure

Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, applauded Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Acting Director Dave Uejio for putting in place better protections for the more than two million homeowners who could unnecessarily lose their homes to foreclosure. Senator Brown and Senator Warren sent a letter to Acting Director Uejio last week urging the CFPB to put additional protections in place to help ensure that homeown… Continue Reading


June 24, 2021

House Passes Van Hollen, Brown Legislation to Strike Down Trump-era “Rent-A-Bank” Rule, Sending It to the President’s Desk

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) applauded the bipartisan House passage of their resolution to repeal the Trump Administration’s so-called True Lender Rule through the use of the Congressional Review Act. This regulation, finalized in the last months of the prior Administration, allows predatory lenders to skirt state laws meant to curb interest rates on … Continue Reading


June 24, 2021

Brown Applauds Biden Administration Steps to Root Out Housing Discrimination

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) - Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs - released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a rule making it easier for victims of housing discrimination to seek justice under the Fair Housing Act. Senator Brown fought the Trump Administration’s rollback of the “Disparate Impact” rule.“The Trump Administration tried to take the teeth out of the disparate impact rule, wh… Continue Reading


June 24, 2021

Brown, Warren Urge CFPB to Protect Homeowners Exiting COVID-19 Related Forbearance

U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a member of the Senate Banking and Housing Committee, sent a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Acting Director Uejio urging him to put in place better protections for the millions of homeowners who could unnecessarily lose their homes to foreclosure.“More than 2.1 million homeowners remain in mortgage forbearance and will exit forbear… Continue Reading


June 24, 2021

Brown Applauds Eviction Moratorium Extension

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, today released the following statement after Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Walensky announced an extension of the CDC eviction moratorium through July 31st, 2021:“The eviction moratorium is providing essential protections to millions of renters during the pandemic. It’s time for state and local grantees to remove unnecessary red tape and make sure that the fun… Continue Reading


June 24, 2021

Brown: We Must Address Our Country’s Housing Crisis

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 “Examining Bipartisan Bills to Increase Access to Housing.”Sen. Brown’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, follow:In our first hearing I gaveled as chair, we talked about how housing is the gateway to opportunity, and to building a middle class life - and how too many families are locked out of it.I said that this Comm… Continue Reading


June 23, 2021

Brown Statement on the Supreme Court’s Collins v. Yellen Decision

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) - Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs - released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled in today’s Collins v. Yellen decision that the structure of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) director position, as established in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act, is unconstitutional.“We are facing an affordable housing crisis in every part of the country. Today’s decision gives President Biden the opportunit… Continue Reading


June 23, 2021

Bennet, Portman, Brown, and Young Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Tackle the Eviction Crisis

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Todd Young (R-Ind.) introduced the Eviction Crisis Act of 2021 to address the national housing crisis holding back millions of American families who are struggling to ascend into the middle class. This legislation will shed light on the root causes of the eviction crisis, reduce preventable evictions, and limit the devastation to families when eviction is unavoidable. “Time and again I’ve hea… Continue Reading


June 22, 2021

Brown: These Nominees Will Protect Our National Security From Terrorists and Financial Criminals

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 nominations hearing for Brian Nelson to be Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes and Elizabeth Rosenberg to be Treasury Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing.Sen. Brown’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, follow:This hearing will come to order.Today we will consider President Biden’s nominations for two key… Continue Reading


June 18, 2021

Brown Applauds Federal Housing Administration on Steps to Remove Barriers to Homeownership for Those With Student Loan Debt

Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, applauded the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) for taking steps to remove barriers and provide more access to affordable single family FHA-insured mortgage financing for creditworthy individuals with student loan debt, which has a disproportionate impact on people of color. The updated policy more closely aligns FHA student loan debt calculation policies with other housing age… Continue Reading


June 17, 2021

Gillibrand Introduces New and Improved Consumer Watchdog Agency to Give Americans Control Over Their Data

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced her renewed legislation, the Data Protection Act of 2021, which would create the Data Protection Agency (DPA), an independent federal agency that would protect Americans’ data, safeguard their privacy, and ensure data practices are fair and transparent. First introduced in 2020, the updated legislation has undergone significant improvements, including updated provisions to protect against privacy harms and discrimination, oversee the use of high-ri… Continue Reading


June 17, 2021

Brown: To Make Our Communities More Resilient, We Must Strengthen Flood Insurance

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 “Reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program, Part II.”Sen. Brown’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, follow:Today’s hearing is the second in our effort to enact a long-term reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program this Congress.In May, we heard from a panel of experts who emphasized that we… Continue Reading

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