05 August 2009

WSJ: Geithner vents at regulators as overhaul stumbles

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said "enough is enough" as he criticized the regulators for hindering progress of the financial regulatory overhaul, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner blasted top U.S. financial regulators in an expletive-laced critique last Friday as frustration grows over the Obama administration's faltering plan to overhaul U.S. financial regulation, according to people familiar with the events of the meeting.

 

The proposed regulatory revamp is one of President Barack Obama's top domestic priorities. But since it was unveiled in June the plan has been criticized by the financial-services industry, as well as by financial regulators wary of encroachment on their turf.

 

Mr. Geithner told the regulators on Friday that "enough is enough," said one person familiar with the events of the meeting. Mr. Geithner said regulators had been given a chance to air their concerns, but that it was time to stop, commented the spokesperson.

 

Among those gathered in the Treasury conference room were Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Sheila Bair.

 

Friday's approximately hour-long meeting was described as unusual, not only because of Mr. Geithner's repeated use of obscenities, but because of the aggressive posture he took with officials from federal agencies generally considered independent of the White House. Mr. Geithner reminded attendees that the administration and Congress set policy - not the regulatory agencies.

 

Mr. Geithner, without singling out officials, raised concerns about regulators who questioned the wisdom of giving the Federal Reserve more power to oversee the financial system. Ms. Schapiro and Ms. Bair, among others, have argued that more authority should be shared among a council of regulators.

 

"You are talking about tremendous regulatory power being invested in whatever this entity is going to be," Ms. Bair told the Senate Banking Committee last month. "And I think, in terms of checks and balances, it's also helpful to have multiple views being expressed and coming to a consensus."

 

Officials from the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, meanwhile, have questioned the creation of a new federal agency to oversee consumer regulations - a move that would take away powers from both institutions.

 

The government's proposal would empower it to take over and break up large financial companies, merge two bank regulators and toughen oversight of mortgages, among other things.

 

Administration officials say they aren't worried about the overhaul's prospects, adding that there is consensus on key aspects, including the regulating of over-the-counter derivatives. Treasury officials say they expected a big debate over the complex legislation. The first piece, which addresses executive pay, passed the House on Friday.

 

"The industry is already back to their pre-meltdown bonuses," said White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. "We need to make sure we don't slip back to risky behavior where the institutions have all the upside and the taxpayers have all the downside, which is why we need regulatory reform."

 

Neal Wolin, Treasury's deputy secretary, said Mr. Geithner told regulators "they have the prerogative to express their views, but he wanted to make sure that, since everyone had agreed on the importance of achieving reform this year, everyone stayed focused on that goal."

 

Government officials said Mr. Geithner had expected regulators to object to parts of the plan that threatened their power or authority, but Treasury officials appeared caught off guard at how much the criticism resonated with lawmakers.

 

Wall Street Journal