US Market Structure Bill Faces Weeks of Delay as Focus Shifts to Housing

Key legislation aimed at reforming U.S. financial market structure is facing significant delays, potentially lasting several weeks, according to reports from Bloomberg. Congressional calendars, which were expected to prioritize hearings and markups on these complex regulatory proposals, have instead been abruptly reoriented to address the burgeoning national housing crisis and severe affordability concerns. This strategic pivot reflects a broader shift in Washington priorities, where immediate economic relief and politically sensitive constituent issues often supersede intricate, long-term regulatory changes. The stalled market structure bill, which proposes fundamental changes regarding trade execution, transparency, and payment for order flow, has been a contentious focus of the House Financial Services Committee. However, high-profile efforts to tackle rising rents, restrictive zoning laws, and the chronic lack of housing supply have absorbed legislative attention, dominating floor time and committee resources. Lobbyists and proponents of the financial market reforms are now recalculating timelines, anticipating that the focus on housing—a widely felt economic issue—will keep the market structure package on the back burner well into the late spring or early summer legislative session. This delay provides opponents of the proposed regulations with additional time to organize and challenge the reforms.

Source: US market structure bill faces weeks of delay as focus shifts to housing: Bloomberg