(Bloomberg) -- The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is weighing new hurdles for investment companies that want to take major stakes in banks.  

The regulator debated on Thursday competing proposals to bolster scrutiny of influence that investment companies exert over bank holding companies. Ultimately, the FDIC tabled both plans but signaled it would seek more say over a contentious area that’s historically been handled by the Federal Reserve.

The power that big asset managers like BlackRock Inc. and Vanguard Group Inc. could have over companies in which they invest has become a focus in Washington. The Fed grants permission for fund managers to exceed a 10% ownership stake if they pledge to be “passive” investors.

The effort at the FDIC dovetails with a plan it introduced last month to boost scrutiny for bank mergers. Tie-ups between lenders have also drawn intense scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers. 

Read More: Bank Mergers Face Higher Hurdle for FDIC Approval Under Plan

One of the plans unveiled at the regulator was championed by Rohit Chopra, a Democrat on the FDIC board who also leads the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. That proposal could have granted the FDIC power to block investment companies from taking big stakes in the parent companies of state-chartered banks. 

A competing plan from Jonathan McKernan, a Republican board member at the FDIC, would have added scrutiny on investment companies that say they are “passive” to be able to take on a bigger stake. 

The FDIC adjourned its meeting without holding a vote to advance either proposal after Michael Hsu, a board member who also leads the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, said he would oppose them. 

(Updates with details on agency meeting throughout.)

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