Too Big to Fail = Too Powerful to Pay

Scholars and industry analysts are currently debating whether the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act – passed on June 30 by the House and pending before the Senate – represents meaningful reform. On one issue, however, the outcome is already clear. The largest banks have defeated provisions that would require them to make a meaningful contribution toward the huge subsidies they receive as "too big to fail" (TBTF) institutions.