WASHINGTON—With Congress away for its in-district work period, America’s Credit Unions says it is preparing for what it calls a “decisive” week on Capitol Hill once lawmakers return next Monday.
America’s Credit Unions Senior Vice President of Advocacy Greg Mesack contends there is a greater than 50% chance the government will shut down at the end of the month.
As CUToday.info reported, the Senate on Friday rejected competing short-term funding measures, leaving Washington without a path to avoid a government shutdown when the fiscal year ends at midnight Sept. 30. With the deadline fast approaching, neither party is showing signs of compromise.
The Congressional calendar shows the Senate returns Sept. 29, and the House is scheduled to return Oct. 1. The government funding deadline is Sept. 30 at 11:59 p.m. ET, giving very little time for the Senate to take action, Mesack noted.
“There is still a chance they could come to agreement, but there also is a very good chance they won't,” Mesack said. “So, we're preparing.”
Mesack said ACU is working with credit unions to make sure they have the resources they need to continue helping their members if a shutdown occurs.
In the face of the looming shutdown and ongoing defense legislation deliberations, the Defense Credit Union Council said it is intensifying its advocacy efforts on behalf of member credit unions.
DCUC Chief Advocacy Officer Jason Stverak emphasized the Council is actively working with its members to ensure they have the latest information on the possible government shutdown and that member credit unions are prepared to support any of their members who might be impacted.
“We are working closely with our member credit unions to make sure they have up-to-date guidance on a potential shutdown and are ready to assist the military members, veterans, and federal employees they serve who could face financial disruptions,” said Stverak.
Stverak also noted that DCUC continues to lead industry efforts to keep the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) moving forward in the Senate without any harmful provisions affecting credit unions. This includes opposing unrelated amendments that could negatively impact credit unions’ operations or their members.
“We continue to lead credit union industry efforts to ensure the NDAA advances in the Senate without any provisions that would negatively impact credit unions,” he explained.
Even though both the House and Senate are in recess this week, Stverak said DCUC “remains a constant presence in the halls of Congress on these and many other issues. The Council’s advocacy team has maintained engagement on Capitol Hill, working with lawmakers and staff to keep critical credit union issues front and center despite the congressional break While Congress may be out of session, our commitment to advocacy hasn’t taken a break – DCUC is on the ground and continually advocating for our members’ interests.”
ACU emphasized that it is working to ensure Congress passes the NDAA without harmful amendments to credit unions, such as interchange or an amendment proposed by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) that would prohibit the Federal Reserve from paying interest to depository institutions that hold deposits in Reserve Banks. While the House has cleared its version for the bill without any harmful amendments, the Senate has yet to pass its version of the measure.
Also happening this week:
Tuesday
- Credit unions support Adelita Grijalva in a special election for Arizona’s 7th District Congressional seat
Thursday
- Comments are due to the CFPB in response to a proposed legal standard on supervisory designations.
Registration for the 2026 Governmental Affairs Conference, taking place March 1-5 in Washington, is available now. ACU said it will provide updates and keynote speaker announcements in the coming weeks.