Washington, D.C. – The Bank Policy Institute launched a major advertising campaign today called “Stop Basel Endgame” warning about the costly consequences that higher capital requirements would have on small businesses and working families. The ads target Washington, D.C., and select national media markets and encourage Americans and their representatives to hold banking agencies accountable by demanding regulators revisit the Basel proposal.
“We have never before run an ad campaign of this magnitude, but this proposal is so alarming that we are compelled to use every resource at our disposal,” stated BPI President and CEO Greg Baer. “The Basel proposal includes unexplained and inexplicable capital charges that will have significant consequences for American businesses and consumers as well as the vitality of our capital markets. Rather than moving forward with a proposal that lacks transparency, accountability or adequate analysis, regulators should withdraw the proposal and reevaluate their efforts.”
The proposal, issued by the Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, will result in a nearly 20% increase in already robust capital requirements for the largest U.S. banks. Banks’ handling of COVID-19, inflationary pressures and other global uncertainties offer real-world demonstrations of banks’ ability to handle economic downturns. Excessively raising current capital requirements will only make it harder for Americans to secure a loan or necessary credit and will reduce economic growth and opportunity. Studies show that every percentage point increase in capital requirements slashes about $42 billion of domestic output annually.
In addition to addressing the costly consequences for businesses and consumers, the campaign highlights the following facts:
- Large banks are well capitalized and highly resilient to economic downturns.
- The proposal disadvantages U.S. businesses and raises costs for consumers by imposing measures that are more extreme than what was established under the original Basel agreement.
- The new proposal undermines Congress and effectively repeals rules that tailored regulations to a bank’s size and business model.
- The proposal was developed without transparency or accountability. Regulators have provided NO analysis to support the vast majority of these increases.
- It benefits private equity and hedge funds at the expense of working Americans and broader financial stability.
The campaign features an educational website with an interactive form allowing visitors to contact their lawmakers to demand action.
To learn more, please visit StopBaselEndgame.com.
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About Bank Policy Institute.
The Bank Policy Institute (BPI) is a nonpartisan public policy, research and advocacy group, representing the nation’s leading banks and their customers. Our members include universal banks, regional banks and the major foreign banks doing business in the United States. Collectively, they employ almost 2 million Americans, make nearly half of the nation’s small business loans, and are an engine for financial innovation and economic growth.
Media Contact
Austin Anton
