Thousands of credit union leaders are headed to Washington, D.C. to advocate for credit unions, CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle wrote in CUInsight Tuesday, and they have plenty they're looking to accomplish. The 2023 CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference takes place in Washington, D.C., and online Feb. 26-March 2. 

"As thousands of credit union leaders come to Washington, D.C. to talk face-to-face with lawmakers on Capitol Hill during the  CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference, there’s no time to waste in focusing the attention of Congress on the key things we want to accomplish for 130 million credit union ­members," he wrote. "Our commitment to financial well-being for all is at the core of credit unions. And that’s where we start in driving our 2023 advocacy agenda forward."

The agenda is:

• Preserving the credit union tax status, as the $2 billion Congress invests in the credit union tax exemption generates more than $208 billion in economic impact every year. Credit unions members $13.5 billion and pay $29 billion in local, state and federal taxes each year.
• Protecting and empowering credit unions by fighting interchange legislation and supporting data security, digital asset, and cannabis banking legislation. 
• Modernizing credit union opportunities including board governance, fields of membership, and member business lending. 
• Right-size regulatory impact to ensure rules and regulations fully consider the impact on all consumers, as well as financial institutions of all size and structure.

"As you can see, there’s a lot to talk about – and this isn’t every issue at hand. We call on every credit union leader to engage and get involved, and make your voices heard on the issues that affect your members," Nussle wrote. "Advocating for them is yet another way for your credit union to serve their needs and lets lawmakers know that credit unions back home are paying close attention."