On March 28, 2019, the House Financial Services Committee passed H.R. 1500, the Consumers First Act, by a 34-26 vote.

The bill is intended to reverse various actions taken by Mick Mulvaney during his tenure as CFPB Acting Director.

The bill is the topic of this week’s podcast, which features a member of Ballard Spahr’s federal lobbying and government relations team discussing what’s in the bill and the impact of current House dynamics on the bill’s prospects for passage or the prospects for passage of particular provisions.… Continue Reading

In this week’s podcast, a member of Ballard Spahr’s federal lobbying and government relations team discusses what’s in the Consumers First Act (H.R. 1500, intended to undo former CFPB Acting Director Mick Mulvaney’s actions), the impact of current House dynamics on the bill’s or specific provisions’ prospects for passage, the topics of other financial services bills likely to have bipartisan support, and how CFPB Director Kraninger’s approach is likely to compare to Mr.… Continue Reading

Yesterday’s hearing on the CFPB held by the House Financial Services Committee highlighted the continuing partisan divide over the CFPB’s implementation of its consumer protection mission but with Democratic and Republican committee members switching roles from those taken at the hearings at which former Director Cordray appeared.  While Republicans took on the role of CFPB Director Kraninger’s champions, Democrats assumed the role of her critics.… Continue Reading

The pendency of three cases in circuit courts challenging the CFPB’s constitutionality has given rise to speculation as to whether the CFPB will continue to defend its constitutionality under Director Kraninger’s leadership.  The CFPB continued to defend its constitutionality in these cases while under former Acting Director Mulvaney’s leadership.  It did so, however, as a fallback to its primary argument that because Mr.… Continue Reading

The CFPB has issued its Spring 2018 Semi-Annual Report to Congress covering the period October 1, 2017 through March 31, 2018.

At 41 pages, the new report is even shorter than the Bureau’s last semi-annual report (which was 55 pages) and continues what appears to be a goal under Acting Director Mulvaney’s leadership of issuing semi-annual reports that are substantially shorter than those issued under the leadership of former Director Cordray.  … Continue Reading

Thirty state attorneys general, joined by the AGs of the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, have sent a letter to CFPB Acting Director Mulvaney “to express our concern about recent reports that the [Bureau] will no longer ensure that lenders are complying with the Military Lending Act (MLA) as part of its regular, statutorily mandated supervisory examinations.”… Continue Reading

In this week’s podcast, Ballard Spahr partners Alan Kaplinsky and Chris Willis examine how the CFPB has changed under the leadership of Acting Director Mick Mulvaney and their expectations for future developments.

Alan and Chris discuss the practical impact of Mr. Mulvaney’s leadership on the CFPB’s day-to-day operations in the areas of supervision and enforcement, particularly with regard to how the CFPB’s public statements line up with its actual practices. … Continue Reading

In this week’s podcast, Ballard Spahr attorneys Alan Kaplinsky and James Kim discuss the implications of the CFPB’s first enforcement action under Acting Director Mulvaney and analyze the amendments proposed by the CFPB to its trial disclosure policy (TDP).  Alan chairs Ballard’s Consumer Financial Services Group and James, a partner in the CFS Group, was formerly a CFPB Senior Enforcement Attorney.… Continue Reading

CFPB Acting Director Mick Mulvaney recently responded to former CFPB Student Loan Ombudsman Seth Frotman’s vocal departure from the Bureau.  As previously reported, Frotman tendered his resignation in a letter—also delivered to members of Congress—which accused Mulvaney of being derelict in his oversight of the “student loan market.”  Among other things,  Frotman accused Mulvaney of undercutting enforcement, undermining the Bureau’s independence, and shielding “bad actors” from scrutiny—collectively, “us[ing] the Bureau to serve the wishes of the most powerful financial companies in America.”… Continue Reading

The CFPB and its Acting Director are facing a proposed class action lawsuit alleging discrimination against minority and female workers based on allegations of lesser pay and fewer promotions than their white male counterparts. The case is captioned at, Jones et al v. Mulvaney, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, No.… Continue Reading