Imagine paying less than half of what you currently do on credit card interest. That’s the vision behind a new proposal from Senators Bernie Sanders and Josh Hawley, who plan to introduce a bill capping credit card interest rates at 10%. The move revives a hotly debated idea that’s been floated—and failed—for decades.
The proposed cap isn’t just a random number. It echoes a campaign promise from President Trump, who last September said he supported a temporary 10% limit to help working Americans. Now, Sanders, an independent from Vermont, and Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, are pushing to make that cap permanent through an amendment to the 1968 Truth in Lending Act.
Here’s the kicker: The average credit card interest rate right now is over 20%, with some cards hitting nearly 23%—the highest since the Federal Reserve started tracking the data in 1994. If the bill passes, the cap wouldn’t kick in until 2031, well after Trump’s term ends.
Sanders calls the current rates “outrageously high,” while Hawley describes them as “exploitative.” Both senators have tried to tackle this issue before, but consumer advocates haven’t had much luck getting rate caps passed under past administrations.
Predictably, banks and credit card companies aren’t fans of the idea. They argue that high rates help cover losses from borrowers who don’t pay back their loans. Industry groups claim rate caps would hurt consumers by limiting access to credit.
Still, the proposal has sparked fresh debate. With Trump’s past support for a cap and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle teaming up, this could be the most serious attempt in years to rein in credit card costs. Will it stick this time? That’s the billion-dollar question.