Advocacy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kansas Banking Groups Oppose Durbin 2.0 Government Mandate
CBAK & KBA Opposing S. 4674
Topeka, Kan, August 5, 2022: The Kansas Bankers Association (KBA) and Community Bankers Association of Kansas (CBAK) are joining forces to oppose federal legislation (S. 4674) co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D – Illinois) and U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R – Kansas) that would force banks to contract with multiple credit card routing companies, which would have a chilling effect on banks’ ability to offer a diverse array of credit card products that consumers have come to value greatly. This proposal, which is falsely being touted as a mechanism to increase competition, will in fact reduce the ability of banks to provide the most innovative and most secure credit card products in today’s marketplace. Simply put, it will negatively impact banks and their customers, while bolstering the profits of big-box retailers and e-commerce giants that already benefit greatly from the strongest financial services network in the world. Merchant groups supporting this bill are asking the federal government to grant them control over credit card processing without any new requirements for those same merchants to tackle ever-growing fraud and security concerns at the merchant level.
“This proposal is bad news for Kansas banks and very bad policy for individual Kansans that look to their local bank for credit card services. Despite contrarian claims by Senators Marshall and Durbin, a federal mandate on credit card routing is direct government intervention into our free-market system and will ultimately deprive Kansas consumers of the benefits of highly popular credit card rewards programs and the highest data security and fraud protection for their personal credit card transactions. While the authors of this bill claim it will enhance competition, the fact is this proposal will jeopardize the ability of Kansas banks to provide the high-quality credit card payment options Kansans want and need.”
Shawn Mitchell, President & CEO
Community Bankers Association of Kansas
785-271-1404
shawn@cbak.com
“The credit card routing mandate proposed by Senators Durbin and Marshall is an unwarranted attack on the freedom of private sector banks to engage with financial service partners that bring the greatest value, widest array of benefits and strongest financial security to their credit card customers. This proposal will impose enormous costs on Kansas banks, including many community banks that will be forced to pay for rewiring how credit cards are processed, and it will jeopardize the ability of those same community banks to offer loyalty and reward cards that tens of thousands of Kansans enjoy and benefit from. If enacted, this legislation will drive small community banks from this marketplace and further trigger community bank consolidation.”
Doug Wareham, President & CEO
Kansas Bankers Association
785-232-3444
dwareham@ksbankers.com
Government Relations
SENATE
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R)
521 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-6521 phone
moran.senate.gov
U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R)
Senate Russell Building, Suite B33
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-4774 phone
marshall.senate.gov
HOUSE
Congressman Tracey Mann (R-1st District)
522 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-2715 phone
mann.house.gov
Congressman Jacob LaTurner (R-2nd District)
1630 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-6601 phone
laturner.house.gov
Congresswoman Sharice Davids (D-3rd District)
1541 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-2865 phone
davids.house.gov
Congressman Ron Estes (R-4th District)
2411 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-6216 phone
estes.house.gov
Office of the State Bank Commissioner
700 S.W. Jackson, Suite 300
Topeka, KS 66603
785-296-2266 phone
785-296-0168 fax
www.osbckansas.org
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Seventeenth Street Plaza Building
1225 17th Street
Denver, CO 80202
720-475-7600 phone
720-475-7690 fax
www.occ.treas.gov
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
2345 Grand Blvd., Suite 1200
Kansas City, MO 64108
816-234-8000 phone
www.fdic.gov
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
1 Memorial Drive
Kansas City, MO 64198
816-881-2000 phone
www.kansascityfed.org/
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
1700 G Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20552
www.consumerfinance.gov/
bankpac
BankPAC is a statewide, non-partisan Political Action Committee (PAC) organized by the Kansas Bankers Association to encourage members of the banking industry to take an active and organized role in government at both the state and federal levels. BankPAC supports state candidates through corporate and individual contributions and federal candidates through personal contributions.
BankPAC supports candidates who support the banking industry in Kansas. All levels of bank employees are encouraged to participate in the PAC because it is only through a unified voice that we are able to create meaningful action at the state and federal level.
