Support for H.R. 6955, the Main Street Capital Access Act

To the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports H.R. 6955, the Main Street Capital Access ("Main Street") Act, which consists primarily of bipartisan bills. We commend the Committee for its thoughtful and dedicated work during the 119th Congress to advance policies that support small and medium-sized banks which are the lifeblood of our nation's local economies and are critical to the success of American businesses.

These mid-sized, small, and community banks play a vital role in supporting small businesses, entrepreneurs, and families. However, outdated regulatory structures and inconsistent supervisory practices have increasingly constrained their ability to serve their communities. The Main Street Act is an important step toward modernizing the regulatory framework, improving transparency, and ensuring that financial institutions of all sizes can continue to drive economic opportunity. The Chamber has been particularly supportive of the following priorities:

· Tailoring of Bank Regulation - H.R. 6955 requires federal regulators to tailor rules and supervisory expectations to the size, risk profile, and business model of individual institutions. Tailored regulation ensures that smaller banks are not forced to operate under one-size-fits-all frameworks designed for the largest global firms-a dynamic that can distort competition and accelerate consolidation. Fixed regulatory thresholds, even when initially grounded in sound policy, quickly lose relevance as the economy evolves and can impose artificial limits on growth, geographic reach, and sector expansion. Indexing bank regulatory thresholds will give banks the flexibility to grow and continue fueling investment, innovation, and opportunity.

· Fair and Transparent Supervision Reform - The bill would modernize the CAMELS rating system by establishing objective, quantifiable criteria and updating weighting methodologies to ensure ratings accurately reflect an institution's true risk profile. It also requires regulators to provide timely, well-documented feedback and base supervisory determinations on clear, transparent standards. These reforms would enhance consistency, reduce uncertainty, and allow financial institutions to devote more resources to supporting small businesses and local economic growth.

· Promoting Bank Competition and Merger Clarity - H.R. 6955 would modernize and bring greater transparency to the bank merger review process, which today is often prolonged, unpredictable, and guided by non-public standards. Without clearer, more consistent criteria, merger policy risks accelerating the emergence of a barbell banking system, where only the largest and smallest institutions remain viable-reducing competition, limiting credit availability, and weakening the financial system. By establishing transparent timelines and accountable review procedures, the Main Street Act helps ensure merger oversight supports a healthy, competitive banking ecosystem rather than unintentionally driving further concentration.

The Main Street Capital Access Act is a meaningful step toward strengthening America's community banking system and ensuring that small businesses-especially those in rural and underserved areas-have access to the capital they need to grow and thrive. We respectfully urge you to support H.R. 6955 to help local financial institutions continue driving economic opportunity and job creation.

We look forward to working with you on this important legislation as the legislative process advances.

Sincerely,

Mike Flood
Senior Vice President
Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness
U.S. Chamber of Commerce

cc: Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House

Steve Scalise, House Majority Leader

Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader

Tom Emmer, House Majority Whip

Katherine Clark, House Minority Whip

French Hill, Chairman, House Financial Services Committee

Maxine Waters, Ranking Member, House Financial Services Committee