Another question about Robinhood was the decision to restrict the ability of its customers to buy GameStop and other securities for a short period of time. In his testimony before the House Financial Services Committee on February 18, 2021, the head of Robinhood explained the circumstances leading to the restrictions. Robinhood received an unexpected call for a large amount of collateral from a financial institution that is the clearinghouse for the trades of Robinhood customers. The restriction on the purchases of GameStop was part of the response because Robinhood was not able immediately to provide the requested collateral. Robinhood explained that it did not restrict customers because of a desire to help short sellers or its main wholesale broker.