By Jason Stverak
2025 was a defining year for credit union advocacy – marked by victories, hard-fought defensive battles, and a renewed commitment to unity across our movement. From Capitol Hill to communities nationwide, credit unions proved that when we engage, coordinate, and speak with one voice, we are a formidable force. Together, we turned challenges into triumphs and laid a strong foundation for the year ahead.
Major 2025 Advocacy Wins:
- Defeated Harmful Interchange Legislation: We stood together to stop the Durbin–Marshall Credit Card Competition Act (a misnamed “competition” bill) from being included in the final FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act. This victory protected military families and preserved credit unions’ ability to serve members without new burdens. It demonstrated what coordinated, sustained advocacy can achieve.
- Protected the Credit Union Tax Status: We successfully defended the federal tax exemption for credit unions amid intense pressure from bank lobbyists. In one of the closest votes of the year, Congress chose to preserve our not-for-profit tax status, recognizing that credit unions exist solely to serve their members – not shareholders. Taxing credit unions would have punished our members, and lawmakers wisely rejected that change.
- Advanced Member-Focused Priorities: Even as we played defense, we went on offense for our members. We advocated to modernize the Member Business Lending cap and backed bipartisan reforms to strengthen VA home loan programs, support Community Development Financial Institutions, and enhance access to liquidity. While not all these efforts crossed the finish line in 2025, we built momentum that will carry into 2026. Each initiative underscored our mission to expand opportunity and financial security for those who serve our country.
Crucially, these achievements did not happen by accident – they happened because credit unions stood united. Our unity was not just a slogan but an operating principle: we engaged in honest conversations, welcomed diverse perspectives (from the smallest credit unions to the largest), and then spoke as a strong chorus on behalf of our members. As I’ve said before, when the credit union movement speaks with one voice, we win. 2025 proved that once again. By debating internally but advocating externally as a team, we made ourselves impossible to ignore. The result was measurable: policies that could have hurt members were defeated, and the credit union model remained protected and thriving.
Serving Communities: Credit Unions At Work In 2025
Beyond the halls of Congress, credit unions demonstrated every day why we are our communities’ most trusted financial partners. In 2025, credit unions across the country repeatedly stepped up as “financial first responders” in times of need. When disasters or hardships struck, it was often credit unions that showed up first – restoring essential services and providing relief to families in distress. We saw this countless times in action. For example, when a devastating hurricane hit communities in Georgia, a local credit union (with support from its state foundation and league) sprang into action, delivering generators and supplies so branches could reopen and serve members in need. When a federal government shutdown left military families uncertain about their paychecks, defense credit unions issued more than just words of sympathy – they offered 0% interest emergency loans and other assistance to bridge the gap. And when a young service member fell prey to predatory lenders, our credit unions did not look away – they stepped in with fair alternatives and financial counseling to protect that member’s financial well-being. There is truly no “peak season” for service in our world; every day is an opportunity to deliver financial stability, compassion, and dignity to those who sacrifice for us.
Credit unions also continued to support their communities in countless everyday ways beyond crisis relief. We educated young members on financial readiness, helped veterans transition to civilian life, and strengthened military families through volunteering and charitable programs. We know that service takes many forms here at home, so our movement serves a wide range of community needs. Credit unions founded to serve teachers, for example, invest deeply in local schools – one California credit union led a drive that provided over 350 backpacks filled with school supplies to students in need. Credit unions serving healthcare workers have honored nurses with appreciation events and grants, even offering free financial planning tools to help these everyday heroes reach their dreams.
Many credit unions offer special low-rate loans or housing programs for police officers and firefighters, or sponsor scholarships for the children of fallen heroes. Keesler Federal Credit Union in Mississippi even created a “First Responder of the Year” award to recognize the bravery and sacrifices of first responders, and it hosts charity events to support wounded veterans. These efforts, big and small, all spring from the same source: our credit union ethos of people helping people and a deep commitment to community engagement. We undertake these initiatives not for headlines or praise, but because we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers and we truly mean it when we say “your mission is our mission”. In 2025, you all embodied this ethos better than ever, and our communities are stronger and more resilient because of it.
Looking Ahead To 2026: Strength And Commitment
As we turn the page to 2026, we know the landscape will remain complex. An election year looms, economic and regulatory uncertainties persist, and our perennial adversaries may renew their attempts to undermine the credit union mission. However, thanks to the trials and triumphs of 2025, we enter the new year stronger, more aligned, and better prepared than ever. If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that advocacy works when credit unions show up, engage honestly, and stand together. The challenges ahead are real, but so is our resolve. We have proven that when we collaborate and confront challenges head-on as a united movement, we can overcome anything.
In 2026, DCUC will build on this momentum. We will continue to champion open discussion, broad inclusion, and coordinated advocacy – turning our shared values into action at every opportunity. Our promise is to defend credit unions wherever necessary and to advance smart, member-focused policies wherever possible. Most importantly, we will ensure credit unions of all sizes – small, medium, and large – have a seat at the table and a voice in the national conversation. This inclusive, disciplined approach is how we will tackle the next set of issues, from safeguarding our tax status again if needed, to promoting legislation that empowers our members, to shaping regulations that allow us to serve our communities better. We face 2026 with confidence and optimism because we know the strength of our coalition. That is how we protect our mission, serve our members, and ensure the credit union movement remains strong for generations to come.
Gratitude And Best Wishes
None of the progress we celebrated in 2025 would have been possible without you – the dedicated credit union leaders, staff, and volunteers who live out our “people helping people” mission every day. Your tireless work, innovation, and compassion have made a real difference in people’s lives, and you exemplify the very best of the cooperative spirit. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your service and for the unwavering commitment to community that defines our credit union family. Every time you went the extra mile for a member, every time you spoke up for our cause, and every time you helped a neighbor in need, you reinforced why credit unions are so special. You have my deepest admiration and gratitude.
As we close out 2025 and welcome 2026, I am truly grateful to have such passionate partners in this movement. Together, we will make the new year even brighter for credit unions and the communities we serve. On behalf of all of us at DCUC, I wish you and your families a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year. Let’s continue standing strong, supporting our communities, and seizing the opportunities ahead in 2026. I have no doubt that, united in purpose, our best days are still to come.
Jason Stverak is Chief Advocacy Officer at the Defense Credit Union Council.