The American Bankers Association today released its 2026 Blueprint for Growth, outlining its top policy priorities for the year ahead. Developed by ABA’s Government Relations Council, the Blueprint will shape the association’s ongoing engagement with Congress and the administration on the most important issues facing banks of all sizes, charters and business models.
“Our new Blueprint for Growth is guided by input from banks of all sizes and business models, providing important strategic direction as we work to advance policies that bolster the economy, expand access to credit and enhance competition in the financial services marketplace so banks can better meet the needs of their customers, clients and communities nationwide,” ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols said.
Together with all 52 state bankers associations, ABA called on Congress and the Trump administration to embrace the following policy priorities in 2026.
Bolster the economy to empower households and small businesses
Banks drive economic growth by supporting households and small businesses in every community. ABA called on Congress to take the following actions:
- Protect Local Lending: Stop payment stablecoins from becoming deposit substitutes that slash community bank lending by prohibiting paying interest, yield or rewards regardless of the platform.
- Fraud: Pursue an “all of government” approach to combat financial fraud, working alongside other industry sectors to protect consumers and reduce the number of Americans who fall victim to scams.
- Indexing: Modernize outdated regulatory thresholds by linking them to economic growth, reducing unnecessary burdens and allowing regulators to focus on actual risk.
- Rate Caps: Prevent arbitrary limits on interest rates that restrict access to credit and harm consumers by reducing choice and increasing costs.
- Mission-Driven Banks: Support the efforts of Minority Depository Institutions and Community Development Financial Institutions to revitalize communities and encourage entrepreneurship.
Refocus regulation to expand access to credit and capital
Banks provide access to credit and capital, but excessive regulation can restrict availability, limiting consumer choice, slowing economic growth and threatening financial stability. ABA urged Congress and regulators to right-size regulations:
- Small Business Lending Data Collection (Section 1071): Support small business lending by backing the CFPB’s revised proposal, while still urging congressional repeal of Section 1071.
- Open Banking (Section 1033): Develop a revised rule that protects consumers, promotes innovation, and ensures a level playing field across the financial ecosystem.
- Interchange (Durbin Amendment): Oppose credit card routing mandates like S.3623 and H.R.7035, the so-called Credit Card Competition Act, and urge the Federal Reserve to withdraw its debit card price control proposal that would increase costs for consumers.
- SAFER Banking: Enact legislation that enables state-sanctioned cannabis businesses to access regulated financial services, improving public safety and enhancing transparency for regulators, tax authorities and law enforcement.
- Supervision: Streamline supervisory processes to focus on risk-based oversight, reduce unnecessary documentation and promote clarity for banks and regulators.
Enhance competition across financial services
Banks adhere to safety and soundness standards and are subject to government oversight but applying like-kind regulation to like-kind activity and avoiding distortions such as price controls or subsidies is essential to enhance competition across financial services. Policymakers should:
- Non-Bank Access to Banking Infrastructure: Apply consistent standards and incorporate strong safeguards — such as restricting nonbank access to Fed accounts and closing nonfinancial loopholes — to preserve financial stability and consumer protection.
- Deposit Insurance: Ensure the deposit insurance and resolutions framework provides clear emergency authority, data-driven coverage and assessment standards that maintain fund stability and resolution processes that balance “least cost” principles with systemic stability.
- De Novos: Remove barriers to new bank formation by facilitating a timely, transparent and tailored approval process that promotes competition.
- Credit Unions: Conduct oversight to determine whether credit unions fulfill their mandate to serve those of modest means in a way that justifies their tax advantages and exemptions from certain disclosure and regulatory requirements.
- National Bank Preemption: Defend the dual banking system from states’ efforts to assert authority over basic operations of national banks, including decisions about deposit taking, lending and risk management.
