10 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017 COVER STORY IBA Annual Washington Trip 2017 Hoosier bankers on the Hill Article author Dax Denton Senior Vice President- Government Relations Indiana Bankers Association ddenton@indianabankers.org @ibagovrelations This fall, member bankers of the Indiana Bankers Association traveled to our nation’s capital to speak up for the industry. Nearly 80 participants joined together Sept. 24-26 for the 2017 IBA Annual Washington Trip. During our packed schedule, IBA bankers received briefings from the American Bankers Association and Independent Community Bankers of America; met with representatives from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and U.S. Department of the Treasury; and held legislative meetings with all Indiana congressional members and both U.S. senators on the Hill. There was much to cover. Current topics on the national landscape cover a wide range of issues, including tax reform, regulatory relief, cybersecurity/ data breaches, Volcker Rule reform, Basel III regulatory simplification, home mortgage disclosure rules, and responsible innovation regarding fintech and other technological advances. Also of interest is the outcome, yet to be determined of industry-advocated legislation: the CLEAR Relief Act, the Financial CHOICE Act and the Regulatory Accountability Act. Day 1 of the Washington Trip began with preparatory briefings from the ABA and ICBA, during which representatives presented background updates on pertinent federal issues and proposed regulations. Following these briefings, our bankers then met with the representatives of various regulatory agencies for in-depth issues review. The second day of the trip was allocated to meeting with the offices of the Indiana Congressional delegation. The large number of bankers on this year’s trip certainly made a positive impact on the regulators and the members of Congress, as a big showing speaks to the level of commitment of the Indiana banking community. One of the benefits of the trip is the networking, both with fellow bankers and with legislators. On the first evening, bankers networked with each other while enjoying a “Monuments by Moonlight” tour of the city’s highlights. The second evening, bankers convened over
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTg3NDExNQ==