Credit unions tell their story, advocate for priorities during Hill visits

Credit union priorities were front and center at dozens of Capitol Hill meetings this week as America’s Credit Unions, leagues, and credit union advocates met with policymakers in conjunction with Congressional Caucus. 

Credit unions thanked members for their support for the credit union tax status, and shared priorities that include modernizing board meeting requirements, Bank Secrecy Act reporting thresholds, and more. They also shared stories of changing members’ lives for the better, and how those advocacy priorities can help credit unions reach even more Americans.

The League of Credit Unions and Affiliates and Georgia credit unions met with Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., to share their support for increased CDFI Fund transparency, and for the bipartisan Task Force for Recognizing and Averting Payment Scams (TRAPS) Act, introduced in the House in August and the Senate in June.

Meetings for the Tennessee Credit Union League included both Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R and Bill Hagerty, R, (sponsor of the Credit Union Board Modernization Act) with the Tennessee Credit Union League and credit unions sharing examples of increased fraud and the need for stronger protections, education efforts underway in the state, and encouraging support for bills to address those concerns. The group met with additional staff, lawmakers, and the CDFI Fund.

The Minnesota Credit Union Network and Minnesota leaders from across the state met with staff and lawmakers on Capitol Hill. This included Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R, and Reps. Michelle Fischbach, R, Betty McCollum, D, Kelly Morrison, D. Attendees highlighted the credit union impact and also urged support for legislation to address fraud, raise CTR and SAR thresholds, and commonsense modernizations to help credit unions serve their members and their evolving needs.

The New York Credit Union Association and New York credit union advocates also had a busy day meeting with their Congressional delegation, including Reps. Andrew Garabino, R, Laura Gillen, D, Mike Lawler, R, Nick LaLota, R, George Latimer, D, Jerry Nadler, D, Elise Stefanik, R, and Tom Suozzi, D.

The CrossState Credit Union Association, joined by representatives from TruMark Financial Credit Union, Ardent Credit Union, and Visions Federal Credit Union, met with Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., to discuss data security, privacy standards, the implications of artificial intelligence, credit union legislative initiatives, and the importance of the tax status. In total, CrossState met with more than a dozen New Jersey and Pennsylvania legislators this week in D.C.

The GoWest Credit Union Association engaged multiple members of Congress across its six member states—including Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho—and the Federal Reserve.

The Cooperative Credit Union Association met with Sens. Maggie Hassan, R-N.H., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Reps. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H., Bill Keating, D-Mass., and Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., among others.

Nebraska Credit Union League and Nebraska credit unions met with the office of Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., a member of the Senate Banking Committee, as well as Rep. Adrian Smith. They discussed how credit unions help members achieve housing goals and small businesses access capital.