WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Chamber’s Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness (CCMC) today released a series of recommendations for revitalizing Main Street lending in order to enable small businesses to create jobs, raise incomes, and generate economic growth.
Lending to small business has declined in recent years, due in part to narrowly focused, one-size-fits-all reforms implemented in the wake of the financial crisis that have made it difficult for Main Street businesses to access financing. In an effort to turn that tide, CCMC has compiled a series of recommendations into the “Financing Main Street Agenda,” which aims to set out a path for getting financial regulation right for small business.
The “Financing Main Street Agenda” includes five core recommendations:
- Replace asset thresholds with multifactor risk assessments
- Reduce the burden of stress testing and capital planning while preserving benefits
- Harmonize U.S. capital and liquidity rules with international standards
- Reassess the Volcker Rule
- Improve the regulatory process
“If we want to help our economy catch fire and keep a steady burn, lending to small business is like putting a match to the kindling,” said David Hirschmann, president and CEO of CCMC. “It’s an essential step for opening up opportunities for the millions of Main Street business ready to hire, expand, and contribute to growth. Properly tailored and reasonably calibrated bank regulation should be a central focus for policymakers in Washington and across the country as we work toward that common goal.”
The recommendations were released today during a conversation on Capitol Hill about small business lending and financial regulatory reform initiatives, featuring Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO).
The “Financing Main Street Agenda” is available online here.
