WASHINGTON--Credit union advocates carried a unified message to Capitol Hill this week as leagues and institutions fanned out across congressional offices during meetings tied to the Governmental Affairs Conference. Although visits occurred throughout the week, the bulk took place Wednesday following the conclusion of the GAC general session, America's Credit Unions noted.
On the Senate side, credit unions urged Senators to remain alert to attempts by Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) to attach his interchange bill to any legislation scheduled for markup and asked them to actively oppose it whenever it is put forth.
Senators were also encouraged to move the Credit Union Board Modernization Act forward. Bill sponsors Sens. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) pledged to get the bill across the finish line when addressing GAC Wednesday. The bill passed the House by voice vote in February 2025.
House members were also asked to stay vigilant and oppose any new interchange mandates, while advocates also encouraged both chambers of Congress to:
- Support modernizing many regulatory reporting thresholds and tying them to inflation going forward to ensure they keep pace with inflation
- Oppose interest rate price caps, with advocates explaining how they would restrict access to credit
- Empower credit unions to protect members from fraud and scams by providing resources, education, and other tools to combat them
Stories of rising fraud costs—and its impact on members—were part of nearly every meeting, ACU said.
Credit unions also thanked members from both chambers for protecting the credit union tax status during last year’s tax battle and emphasized that continuing to secure the tax status will ensure credit unions can continue their legacy of support.
Multiple legislators returned the praise to credit unions for their efforts serving members during the longest government shutdown in history last year, and many said they specifically worked to connect federal workers missing paychecks with a local credit union.