CFPB Acting Director Calls For Agency Restructuring

In testimony before the Senate Banking Committee, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ("CFPB") Acting Director Mick Mulvaney outlined his recommendations for curbing the power and authority of the CFPB. Mr. Mulvaney addressed recent recommendations from the CFPB Semi-Annual Report.

Mr. Mulvaney echoed his request for Congress to (i) require the CFPB to obtain funding through Congressional appropriations, (ii) require legislative approval for major rules, (iii) install an independent Inspector General to oversee operations, and (iv) ensure that the CFPB is accountable to the president. Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-ID) said that the "fundamental structure" of the CFPB should be altered in order to foster greater transparency and accountability. He called for a "bipartisan commission," as opposed to the current single-director structure, and expressed support for Mr. Mulvaney's request for funding dictated by Congressional appropriations rather than drawn from the