U.S. Financial Regulatory Week Ahead

Written By Francis Kelly

The White House Puts a Hold on Quintenz Confirmation Vote, NCUA Democrat Board Members Back On… and Then Back Off, and Housing Policy Moves into Focus

July 28 - August 1, 2025

It’s going to be a quiet week in Washington. The House of Representatives began its traditional August recess last week, and the Senate is expected to leave at the end of this week—though they may stick around longer at President Trump’s request to address the confirmation backlog. As you can see from the calendar below, things are winding down in D.C. as everyone heads off for much-needed summer vacations.

But as the Senate works to clear that nominee backlog, one name has been held back yet again: the Senate Agriculture Committee once more decided at the last minute not to bring up Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair nominee Brian Quintenz for a confirmation vote. Interestingly—and concerning for the future of Quintenz’s nomination—it was the White House that weighed in this morning, with no explanation, and asked Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman (R-AR) to delay the vote. That means Quintenz won’t get a committee vote until at least September.

Meanwhile, a federal appeals court reinstated two Democratic members of the Federal Credit Union Administration who had been fired by President Trump. However, any hope of their return was short-lived: the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an emergency order overruling the decision and blocking their reinstatement. This case is clearly headed to the Supreme Court, though it’s unclear when that will happen.

In another development, a federal appellate court on Friday struck down a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) order that would have required brokers to help fund the massive Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT) database used by regulators. Championed by then-SEC Chair Gary Gensler, the plan was rejected by the court, which said the SEC had not “adequately justified its choices” or conducted a sufficient economic analysis.

In the Senate, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation aimed at increasing private investment in affordable housing and other community development projects. Led by Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott (R-SC), the Community Investment and Prosperity Act will receive close scrutiny this fall.

Congress also received a notable report last Thursday from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on the potential impact of releasing mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae from government control. The report indicates that while returning the companies to public ownership would generate some budgetary savings, it would also result in costs—mainly because the federal government would no longer receive income from their earnings. You can read the report HERE.   Re-floating the two GSEs is a priority for President Trump and has gained traction on Capitol Hill in recent months, along with many supporters on Wall Street.

Below are the meetings and events of note happening in Washington this week:

U.S. Congressional Hearings 

U.S. Senate

House of Representatives

  • The House is out of session for the August recess and will return on September 2.

 

Federal Department & Regulatory Agency Meetings & Events

Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve Banks

  • The Federal Open Market Committee will meet on Tuesday and Wednesday to consider interest rates. Federal Reserve Board Chair Jay Powell will hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

U.S. Treasury Department

  • There are no significant events scheduled at this time.

 Department of Commerce

  • There are no significant events scheduled at this time.

Department of Housing and Urban Development

  • There are no significant events scheduled at this time.

Securities and Exchange Commission

  • Thursday, July 31, 2:00 p.m. – The SEC holds a Closed Meeting.

Commodities Futures Trading Commission

  • There are no significant events scheduled at this time.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

  • There are no significant events scheduled at this time.

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

  • There are no significant events scheduled at this time.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

  • There are no significant events scheduled at this time.

FINRA

  • There are no significant events scheduled at this time.

National Credit Union Administration

  • Thursday, July 31, 12:00 p.m. – National Credit Union Administration Chair Kyle Hauptman speaks at the Women in Housing and Finance.

Federal Trade Commission & Department of Justice Antitrust Division

Farm Credit Administration

  • There are no significant events scheduled at this time.

Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation

  • There are no significant events scheduled at this time.

International Monetary Fund & World Bank

  • There are no significant events scheduled at this time.

North American Securities Administrators Association

  • There are no significant events scheduled at this time.

Small Business Administration

  • There are no significant events scheduled at this time.

 

Trade Associations & Think Tank Events

Trade Associations

  • Wednesday, July 30 – The Institute for International Finance holds its 2025 Tax Conference in New York.

  • Thursday, July 31, 12:00 p.m. – National Credit Union Administration Chair Kyle Hauptman speaks at the Women in Housing and Finance.

 

Think Tanks and Other Events

 

Please let us know if you have any questions or would like to be added to our email distribution list.

Francis Kelly
Next

The Global Week Ahead