Banking Committee Republicans Probe Federal Reserve Supervision of SVB

Washington. D.C.--U.S. Senate Banking Committee Republicans, including U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), are demanding answers and seeking records from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco regarding their supervision of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in the leadup to its failure.  The Republican members of the Committee are striving to deliver transparency and accountability for the American people, an effort they will continue on Tuesday as regulators testify before the Committee.

“In sum, a number of warning signs existed at SVB in the months and years leading up to its closure, and per reports, these ‘risky practices were on the Federal Reserve’s radar for more than a year—an awareness that proved insufficient to stop the bank’s demise.’ Rather than effectively directing SVB management to take definitive, corrective action, it is apparent that the Federal Reserve supervisors and examiners neglected to intervene in a meaningful, appropriate way to rectify the bank’s deficiencies, ensure safe and sound operations, and prevent its ultimate failure,” the Senators wrote.   

“The American people deserve transparency and accountability from their government officials, and they are entitled to understand precisely what Federal Reserve officials knew about the apparent risks associated with SVB, when they knew it, and why they failed to act to prevent the bank failure from occurring,” the Banking Committee Republicans continued. 

The letter, led by Banking Committee Ranking Member Tim Scott (R-South Caroilna), was also signed by Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota) and Steve Daines (R-Montana).  The Senators requested a response no later than April 6, 2023.

Read the full letter here.

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