Attendees at the 2022 CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) no longer need to verify their vaccine status to attend the annual advocacy event, held Feb. 27-March 3, after Washington, D.C., officials lifted the vaccine verification requirement to enter indoor venues. Additionally, the indoor mask requirement will expire on Monday, Feb. 28. 

The Senate will consider legislation to fund the federal government past Feb. 18 this week, while the House will hold a committee work week. The House passed a continuing resolution last week to fund the government and the National Flood Insurance Program through March 11.

CUNA strongly supports FinCEN’s efforts to conduct a review of the Bank Secrecy Act and provided several examples of burdens it places on credit unions in comments filed Monday. FinCEN issued the review to solicit comment on AML/CFT requirements.

NCUA Chairman Todd Harper announced the appointment of Elizabeth Eurgubian as director of external affairs and communications and policy advisor, effective Monday. Eurgubian will lead the agency’s communication and congressional affairs initiatives and serve as a policy advisor to the Chairman.

Credit union loans outstanding increased 1.0% in December, compared to a 0.6% increase in November of 2021 and a 0.2% increase in December of 2020, according to CUNA’s latest Monthly Credit Union Estimates.

The NCUA board will vote on a Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) interim final rule, receive a share insurance fund update, and vote on a proposal at its Feb. 17 board meeting, scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. ET.

CUNA Senior Economist Dawit Kebede said there seems to be no reason to keep interest rates close to zero when inflation is record high, in response to the Labor Department’s January Consumer Index Report.

The House passed a continuing resolution funding the federal government and National Flood Insurance Program through March 11. Funding for both is scheduled to expire Feb. 18. The Senate is expected to take up the measure in the coming days.

The credit union difference means billions in savings for members, hundreds of billions in economic impact, and hundreds of thousands of jobs supported just last year, CUNA Chief Advocacy Officer Ryan Donovan wrote to all 535 Congressional offices Wednesday.

Congress can promote financial inclusion and help small businesses by ensuring federal law permits all federal credit unions to serve underserved areas, CUNA wrote to the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection.