White House sends Brian Johnson's nomination to head CFPB to Senate

Key facts

• President Donald Trump nominated Brian Johnson to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
• The nomination has been sent to the U.S. Senate for confirmation.
• Johnson is a former CFPB deputy director and currently a Capital One executive.
• Johnson has been a critic of the CFPB's regulations and funding.
• The Consumer Bankers Association welcomed the nomination.

President Donald Trump has nominated Brian Johnson to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), sending his name to the U.S. Senate for confirmation. Johnson, currently a senior executive at Capital One, previously served as the deputy director of the bureau under Trump's first CFPB director, Kathy Kraninger. He was known as a powerful aide to Kraninger and had significant influence over the bureau's work.

If confirmed, Johnson would inherit a bureau that has been largely inoperable since Trump's return to office, with budget director Russell Vought serving as acting head. Much of the bureau's recent activity has focused on unwinding its previous work. Johnson has been a critic of the agency's regulations and funding, having previously testified before Congress in favor of ending its financial independence.

The Consumer Bankers Association welcomed the nomination, citing Johnson's policy background. Republicans have criticized the CFPB as politicized, while Democrats and consumer advocates argue that weakening the agency benefits industry at the expense of consumers. The CFPB was established in 2010 to protect consumers in the financial sector.