CCUA talks CU issues with Congress, NCUA during Hike the Hill

One credit union league, representing four states, was in Washington, D.C. last week to Hike the Hill. In addition to meeting with each member of the Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Delaware Congressional delegations, members of the Cooperative Credit Union Association (CCUA) met with NCUA and attended its budget briefing and board meeting.

“Our Hike the Hill was a great success with substantive, informal visits with senators and congressmen and women representing each member state," said Paul Gentile, CCUA President/CEO. "The visits encouraged open dialogue, while allowing CCUA member credit unions to ask pointed questions on critical industry issues, such as member business lending and anticipated regulatory changes that could negatively impact financial service providers."

Gentile added that the conversations were especially helpful in outlining the potential for bipartisan regulatory relief legislation going forward.

“We learned that our lawmakers are carefully considering a number of issues important to credit unions, which underscores the importance of engaging our lawmakers directly on issues affecting our industry,” he said. “From the need to protect our senior citizen members from financial abuse to the need to reclassify 1-4 family non-owner occupied properties as exempt from the business loan cap, our credit unions did a terrific job relating the impact of issues like this to their everyday operations and ability to provide financial services to their members.

“The hikers also took the opportunity to thank lawmakers for their advocacy efforts, while asking them for their continued support in moving favorable legislation forward,” Gentile added. “The prevailing commentary by lawmakers at every meeting was that of a deep appreciation for the great care the credit unions take in tending to the financial needs of their members and for always keeping their members' best interests at heart.”

Gentile, who chairs CUNA’s Examination and Supervision Subcommittee, also testified at NCUA’s briefing on its 2018-2019 budget Wednesday.