WASHINGTON—Sen. Roger Marshall’s long-stalled Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA) may have found new life this week after President Donald Trump publicly endorsed the bill, a move advocates say is already reshaping the political math around credit-card fees on Capitol Hill.
In an early Tuesday morning post on Truth Social, Trump urged support for Marshall’s (R-KS) proposal to overhaul the credit-card payments market, writing: “Everyone should support great Republican Senator Roger Marshall’s Credit Card Competition Act in order to stop the out of control Swipe Fee ripoff. Roger is a FANTASTIC Senator.”
The post marked Trump’s most explicit backing yet of the CCCA, legislation that has repeatedly stalled amid opposition from banks, card networks, and many Republicans wary of market intervention.
Marshall quickly embraced the endorsement, posting on X that the current system benefits large financial institutions at the expense of consumers.
“Big Banks rake in billions from credit card swipe fees — while hardworking Americans pay the price,” Marshall wrote. “Let’s end these fees and save families thousands.”
The swift response, analysts stated, underscores how central Trump’s backing could be to reviving a bill that has struggled to gain traction despite bipartisan sponsorship in prior Congresses.
Sources speaking to CUToday.info suggested Trump’s comments are part of a broader shift in Washington’s mood around interchange fees and card pricing—one that could open the door for Marshall and the CCCA. Credit-union advocate John McKechnie warned earlier this week that the political landscape is changing rapidly.
"There's a consensus on Capitol Hill that the president's comments (around a 10% cap on credit card intertest) have changed the debate on credit card fees generally. There isn't a consensus, however, as to where the ball will bounce from here," McKechnie told CUToday.info. "Republicans, who are instinctively averse to government intervention in the market, are taking a second look at the issue; one senior Republican Senate Banking Committee staffer said she thought that a few days ago, zero Senate Republicans would vote for any kind of fee caps. Now she says several senators are up for grabs. And it's solely because of the President's statement.”
Payments experts say the moment reflects mounting bipartisan pressure on the payments ecosystem. Brian Scott, co-founder of RAI Partners, said the debate signals a broader reality taking shape in Washington. While the end result remains unclear, Scott said, “the growing bipartisan pressure around payments and credit strongly suggests that some form of regulation is coming.”
Trump’s endorsement followed a CUToday.info feature warning that credit-card regulation was nearing a tipping point, driven by rising political scrutiny of fees, rates, and market power. With the President now openly backing the CCCA, advocates say Marshall’s bill—once considered a long shot—may be closer than ever to becoming part of a larger credit-card crackdown now gaining momentum across both parties.
Defense Credit Union Council Chief Advocacy Officer Jason Stverak shared concerns about Trump’s Tuesday morning post.
“Regardless of President Trump's announcement, CCCA/Marshall-Durbin is still deeply flawed legislation,” Stverak said. “We have not had a hearing on the bill and before we attempt to dramatically alter the highly successful and secure payments system in the United States we should make sure that all of these discussions happen in Congress. This support does not change the fact Marshall-Durbin will dramatically hurt defense credit unions’ ability to provide access to credit for young military members and their families and not give them the resources they need to serve the military communities.”
Following Trump's latest Truth Social post, McKechnie said he was not surprised the CCCA was reintroduced Tuesday.
"After the events of the last couple days it's not surprising to see CCCA reintroduced," McKechnie told CUToday.info. "Everybody in Washington knew this was coming, or at least they should have. The question for credit unions is: What do we do now that there appears to be a full-frontal assault on credit card revenue? My first suggestion is that we must be even more assertive in telling the real truth about these price caps. They don't withstand scrutiny when you hold them up to the light of day. Consumers won't benefit, and in fact there will be real damage done if Congress goes down this road."