Regulations

law, which was designed to stop banks from growing “too big to fail” and requiring public bailouts.

But Trump claims the regulations have had the opposite effect, while also limiting access to credit for many Americans.

“These regulations enshrine too big to fail and encourage risky behavior,” Trump said.

One memo orders Mnuchin to review a component of the law that allows federal regulators to liquidate failing financial firms during an economic crisis if those companies are large enough that their collapse would pose a threat to the economy.

The other memo orders the Treasury to review a process that designates which non-bank firms could threaten the financial system if they fail. Critics argue this process is costly and arbitrary.

Both measures will be suspended while they’re under review.

Mnuchin said taxpayers won’t be left on the hook.

“Let me make it absolutely clear: President Trump is absolutely committed to make sure that taxpayers are not at risk for government bailouts of entities that are too big to fail,” he said.

His report will explore if it would be better to liquidate troubled financial firms through a modified form of bankruptcy.

Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer said in a Friday interview with CNBC that there are aspects of the Dodd-Frank law that if taken away would have “potentially serious impacts on the economy, not immediately, but when times get tough.”

“Taking actions which remove the changes that were made to strengthen the structure of the financial system is very dangerous,” Fischer said.

Former Fed chair Ben Bernanke argued in a February blog post that there is no provision for the government to inject money into a failing firm as was done during the 2008 financial meltdown. This means that all losses would be borne by private investors.

Also, Bernanke said his experience is that financial regulators are often better equipped to respond to these emergencies than bankruptcy judges.

Mnuchin suggested Friday that it might be necessary to update bankruptcy laws to accommodate collapsing firms.

ALEX BRANDON / ASSOCIATED PRESS Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin shakes hands with President Donald Trump on Friday during Trump’s visit to the Treasury Department.