By Tallman Johnson, Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Policy, CDIA

As we await the final tally for individual races, the results from yesterday’s election were definitive. In January, Democrats will hold sizable majorities in the House and the Senate. With President Trump in the White House for two more years, Washington will enter a period of divided government.

Although institutional friction between the legislative and executive branches will likely stall comprehensive legislation, both chambers of Congress will focus on monitoring the Trump administration over the next two years using oversight hearings, inquiry letters, and subpoenas. We expect the new majorities to use their gavels to examine how federal regulators, the CFPB chief among them, approached consumer protection over the past two years.

Here is what matters most for our industry and its consumers:

  • Affordability will be a primary theme, as Democrats campaigned on lowering costs for families. CDIA believes that access to fair and affordable credit is a cornerstone of affordability and financial security, made possible through accurate credit reporting. Lenders who can rely on complete information extend credit to more people on better terms. More data, not less, is what makes a credit report complete and accurate, and that is a case we will continue to make in the new Congress.
  • The CFPB will receive fresh scrutiny. We expect questions about the Bureau’s staffing, its supervision, and its complaint portal. Consumers have robust FCRA rights to dispute genuine inaccuracies directly with the credit reporting agencies at no cost, and that process works. Over the past three years, the portal has been flooded with complaints, many driven by credit repair organizations and AI tools encouraging consumers to wash accurate but negative information off their reports. CDIA continues to advocate for a balanced approach to the portal’s future—one that safeguards consumers with genuine grievances, mitigates fraudulent abuse, and upholds the standard of accurate credit reporting.
  • FCRA modernization remains a prime opportunity for bipartisan cooperation. By implementing balanced liability reform, lawmakers can curb abusive litigation while still protecting consumer rights and ensuring accurate credit reporting—goals that both parties should readily support.
  • Ensuring broad access to mortgage credit and improving housing affordability remain top, bipartisan priorities for both Congress and the administration. As the credit score modernization transition moves forward, we will continue advocating policies that preserve the tri-merge credit report and the comprehensive view of borrower history it provides.
  • Medical debt, privacy, and AI are returning to the agenda, backed by strong champions in the new majority. Regarding privacy and AI, our stance remains clear: responsible consumer data use drives opportunity, and any policy change must align with how the system practically serves consumers.

CDIA has worked with Republicans and Democrats for decades, and we will meet the new majorities with the same openness, facts, and good faith we bring to every Congress.

We look forward to the work ahead.