Senate confirms USDA and CFTC nominees
On Tuesday, the leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee announced that three of President Trump’s nominees have received Senate approval to begin work at the USDA and the CFTC.
Senate ag panel set to vote on CFTC and USDA nominees
Members of the Senate Agriculture Committee are scheduled to vote Tuesday on two Trump administration nominees, Dan Berkovitz to be a CFTC commissioner and James Hubbard to be agriculture undersecretary for natural resources.
For CFTC commissioner, Trump chooses the agency’s former lawyer
President Trump selected Dan Berkovitz, who was general counsel at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission during the Obama era, as his nominee for commissioner of the agency, said the White House.
Trump remolds watchdog agency for futures markets
The Republican-controlled Senate put President Trump's stamp on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which oversees the futures markets, by approving his choice for CFTC chairman and two of his nominees for the five-member board. The nominations were approved by unanimous consent and give the CFTC board a majority for the first time in months.
Democratic senators ask EPA about Icahn’s influence on energy policy
Billionaire Carl Icahn has been an informal White House adviser on regulatory issues since the early days of the Trump administration. Five Democratic senators asked EPA chief Scott Pruitt for all documents involving any communications involving Icahn and his businesses and the EPA, which regulates air pollution laws and biofuel usage.
Trump nominates CFTC commissioner
President Trump has nominated Brian D. Quintenz of Ohio to be a commissioner of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, according to the White House website
Trump taps Giancarlo to chair CFTC short of commissioners
President Trump will ask the Senate to confirm J. Christopher Giancarlo as chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the White House announced. Giancarlo was named acting chairman on the day Trump took office and is expected to rein in Dodd-Frank financial reforms. Giancarlo, a commissioner since June 2014, would succeed Timothy Massad, a Democrat, who resigned with the change in administration. Sharon Brown is the only other commissioner at present.
House votes to freeze spending by futures market regulator
The Republican-controlled House passed a bill that would freeze the budget of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for the next five years and require more analysis before it adopts new regulations. The bill, sponsored by House Agriculture chairman Michael Conaway but not considered by his committee, was sent to the Senate on a party line vote, 239-182.
Corzine to pay $5-million penalty in collapse of MF Global
Former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine will pay a $5 million civil penalty for misuse of $1 billion in customers' funds during the 2011 collapse of MF Global, which shook the futures market. Corzine, who was chief executive of the trading house, also agreed in a consent order in federal court to never again work for a futures brokerage or to register with the CFTC.
CFTC re-proposes position limits, tries anew on bonafide hedging exemption
The federal overseer of the futures markets, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, re-proposed limits on speculative futures and swaps by investors in 25 physical commodities ranging from corn and soybeans to natural gas, crude oil and precious metals. The CFTC also re-proposed a definition of bonafide hedging — important to food processors, utilities and airlines, who use futures to assure the price and supply of materials.
Two CFTC nominees cleared for Senate vote
The Senate Agriculture Committee approved the nominations of Christopher Brummer and Brian Quintenz as commissioners of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the regulator of the commodities markets. The Senate is to meet today before taking a break ahead of the Nov. 8 general …
Warnings of defeat as soon as CFTC bill is unveiled
Senate Agriculture Committee chairman Pat Roberts said his bill to reauthorize the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, scheduled for a vote in committee on Thursday, would remove unnecessary federal regulation of so-called end users, such as utilities, airlines and food processors, while improving safeguards against misuse of customer funds.
Wetjen resigns as CFTC commissioner
Commissioner Mark Wetjen announced his resignation from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission effective Aug. 28, nearly four years after he was confirmed by the Senate to serve on the regulatory agency.
House passes CFTC reauthorization despite veto threat
On a party-line rollcall of 246-171, the House voted to send the Senate a bill to reauthorize the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It would create new safeguards for customers' money and ease regulation of so-called end users.The customer safeguards are a reaction to the collapse of two large trading houses and are intended to preserve customers' accounts during financial upheavals.
House to vote on CFTC bill under veto threat
The House could vote this evening on the Republican-backed bill to reauthorize the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, overseer of the derivatives markets. The White House threatened a veto of the bill last week. Besides renewing the operating authority of CFTC, the bill creates new safeguards for customers' funds held by trading houses, relaxes regulations on so-called end users, and makes it more difficult for the five-member commission to write new regulations.
Senate bill gives allows one day to cover margins on futures
Farmers, elevators and businesses would have until the end of the day following a futures trade to cover their margin accounts under a bill filed by Senate Agriculture chairman Pat Roberts of Kansas and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota.
House agrees to debate CFTC reauthorization bill
On a party-line vote, the House agreed to debate a bill drafted by the House Agriculture Committee to reauthorize the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which oversees the derivatives market, including futures contracts. The Republican-controlled House acted one day after the White House threatened to veto the bill "because it undermines the efficient functioning" of the CFTC. The House bill creates barriers within the agency to writing new regulations, said the administration.
Judge orders U.S. Bank to pay $18 million to PFG trustee
U.S. District Judge Linda Reade ordered U.S. Bank to pay $18 million to the trustee for Peregrine Financial Group as reimbursement to customers of the bankrupt company, says the CFTC.