More than 5,000 credit union professionals will be in Washington, D.C. next week for CUNA’s Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC), CUNA Chief Advocacy Officer Ryan Donovan wrote all 535 Congressional offices Tuesday. Part of CUNA’s regular outreach to Congress on the credit union difference, this communication sets the stage for next week’s CUNA GAC.

“Next week, credit union professionals will be in Washington, eager to speak with you about how a strong partnership between Congress and credit unions serves your constituents by fostering financial resilience, retaining local access to financial institutions, serving the underserved, and so much more,” Donovan wrote. “For your local credit unions, the commitment to advancing communities is paramount. They are there for your constituents in good times and bad and look forward to working with your office to get more done.”

Donovan’s message links to a selection of CUNA’s 2020 credit union advocacy priorities, detailing ways Congress and credit unions can work together to advance communities, including:

• Passing a national data security and privacy framework to keep Americans safe;
• Supporting community growth by modernizing credit union governance, allowing the needs of local families and businesses to be met;
• Investing in their community’s financial well-being by preserving the credit union tax status;
• Passing the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act to keep business owners and communities safe by providing protections to financial institutions serving legal cannabis businesses; and
• Ensuring that more communities have access to safe, affordable homeownership by supporting responsible housing financial reform.