Elizabeth Warren, architect of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, defended the fledgling agency from allegations that it lacks appropriate oversight while speaking to journalists at the Society of American Business Editors and Writers Conference in Dallas on Friday. “The consumer agency will be subject to the administrative procedures act,” Warren said. She added that the CFPB also is subject to judicial review to ensure it stays within the constraints of lawmakers and can be overruled by Congress. “The consumer protection agency is the only bank regulator whose rules can be overruled by another group of agencies,” she said. “We cannot interfere with other agencies’ rulemaking efforts, but other agencies can veto our rules. This is another assurance that we can be held accountable for our actions.” Warren said the CFPB also is subject to procedural and funding issues, although under its current funding model, the bureau is one of a few agencies that will not be impacted by the possibility of a government shutdown. “The amount of money we get is a portion of the Federal Reserve‘s budget as it exists in 2012,” she said. “If we need more than that, we have to go back to Congress and ask for more money.” Warren acknowledged the political infighting surrounding the agency and its role in overseeing consumer issues tied to home mortgages, student loans and other lines of consumer credit. “There are proposals to repeal the consumer agency and Dodd-Frank, which would eliminate the agency before it’s born,” she said. Warren said quashing the agency would benefit some of the parties responsible for causing the crisis. “Political independence is important for a bank regulator to be strong enough for the agency to help the consumer public,” she said. “Many regulators began with good intentions but were captured by the very group they were employed to regulate.” Write to Kerri Panchuk.
Most Popular Articles
While many homebuilders, such as D.R. Horton and Tri Pointe Homes, significantly reduced the number of new home starts over the last quarter amid sluggish homebuyer demand, Smith Douglas Homes Corp. is taking a different approach, akin to that of Lennar. Pace over price. The builder’s strategy reflects a commitment to affordability and serving the […]
-
Mortgage rate declines are raising the likelihood of a refi surge
Mar 19, 2026 -
Homebuilders Urged To Invest In Frontline Jobsite Workers Now
Mar 19, 2026 -
How hybrid operations are elevating builder performance
Apr 30, 2026 9:50 am -
HousingWire Mortgage Rankings have arrived, bringing data-driven benchmark to originator performance
Apr 30, 2026 -
After An Involuntary Pause, Orders Matter Again For LGI
Mar 20, 2026
Latest Articles
HousingWire on Tuesday announced the launch of the HousingWire Mortgage Rankings, a new performance intelligence product designed to provide a clear, data-driven view of mortgage origination activity across the U.S. The rankings benchmark mortgage originators based on observed production, offering a standardized view of performance across geographies, loan types and channels. Historically, the mortgage industry has lacked […]