During the last week of February, a large group of Texas community bankers made their voices heard in Washington, D.C. More than 140 members of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT) and other representatives of the state’s community banking industry visited influential lawmakers and their staffs on Capitol Hill. The message of community bankers was clear: regulatory overreach is smothering community banks to the detriment of local, state and national economies.
The group met with 30 members or staff of the Texas Congressional delegation, including Senator John Cornyn (R–Texas); U.S. Representative Monica De La Cruz, (R–Texas, Dist. 15); and U.S. Representative Roger Williams, (R–Texas, Dist. 25), chairman of the U.S. House Small Business Committee.
The community bankers also held meetings with Michelle “Miki” Bowman, Federal Reserve Board of Governors and President Trump’s nomination as vice chair for supervision of the Federal Reserve; Brandon Millhorn, president and CEO of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors; U.S. Representative French Hill, (R–Arkansas, Dist. 2), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee; and Rob Blackwell, chief content officer and head of external affairs at IntraFi Network.
“IBAT and the Independent Community Bankers of America [ICBA] are locked in on the fight,” notes Christopher Williston, IBAT president and CEO. “Last week, it was proven once again that nothing is more valuable than having bankers tell their stories.”
IBAT will return to Washington, D.C., May 12–15 with representatives from across the nation as part of ICBA’s Capital Summit.
