WASHINGTON—As Congress adjourns until Jan. 5, America’s Credit Unions and the Defense Credit Union Council are closing out the year with a mix of frustration and confidence, pointing to unfinished legislative business, intensifying advocacy efforts, and growing momentum heading into 2026.
DCUC Chief Advocacy Officer Jason Stverak emphasized the trade group remains extremely disappointed that House and Senate leadership were unable to reach agreement and include the Central Liquidity Facility (CLF) amendment in the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
“That said, we are grateful the Senate passed the provision unanimously and included it in its version of the NDAA,” Stverak stated Monday during a call with the media. “We also appreciate Senators (Kevin) Cramer and (Alex) Padilla for continuing to shoulder the leadership responsibility—not only by reintroducing the bill last week, but by pushing for hearings and inclusion in any legislative vehicles moving forward.”
Heading into 2026, CLF legislation will be at or near the top of DCUC’s advocacy agenda, Stverak said.
“I’ll be on Capitol Hill for the remainder of this week, ahead of the holidays, laying the groundwork so that we can hit the ground running when Congress returns in the new year,” he said. “We will also remain vigilant against renewed efforts to include the Marshall-Durbin interchange language. With Senator (Richard) Durbin entering his final year in Congress, we expect a significant push on that issue, and DCUC will lead the charge on behalf of all credit unions to prevent it from moving forward.”
Scott Simpson, president and CEO of America’s Credit Unions, noted the trade association has been working diligently in D.C. to protect credit union interests.
“We just came off a pretty intense week in Washington, spending significant time on Capitol Hill and at the White House, including meetings with the Treasury secretary and several White House officials. It was a solid week overall,” Simpson said.
Simpson added that ACU is grateful to see the NCUA take its first step in a broader deregulation effort.
“At the same time, we’re continuing to push back on the rhetoric we hear from our opponents and doing our best to clearly articulate a simple truth: Credit unions remain the best deal for American consumers,” he said.
Simpson concluded by noting the holidays often provide everyone an opportunity to “breath.”
“2025 was a great year for credit unions,” he said. “We rallied in the face of opposition. We assembled a ton of capabilities and resources to stop some significant pieces of legislation, or the threat of legislation, and it just has me bullish about going forward.”