DCUC Responds to President Trump’s RNC Remarks, Warns Credit Card Competition Act Risks to Military Families

By DCUC Staff — September 10, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) today welcomed President Donald Trump’s focus on lowering household costs in his RNC midterm convention message, while warning that the Marshall–Durbin Credit Card Competition Act does not establish the consumer savings its sponsors are promising and could undermine financial services military families depend upon.

“President Trump wants families to keep more of their money. We share that goal, and military families deserve to benefit from it,” says Anthony Hernandez, DCUC President/CEO, Ret. U.S. Air Force Colonel. “But the Marshall–Durbin bill is the wrong answer. A policy that puts affordable credit, dependable service, and valuable member benefits at risk without establishing what families will actually save is not the relief those who serve deserve.” The Credit Card Competition Act, S. 3623, does not require retailers to pass any savings to consumers, reduce gas or grocery prices by 2 to 3 percent, or deliver $1,200 to a household. “Senator Marshall and Senator Durbin are promising a discount at the gas pump and the grocery store that their bill never requires anyone to provide,” states Jason Stverak, DCUC Chief Advocacy Officer. “They owe military families the math: How much would merchants save, how much would reach consumers, and what could families lose in rewards or affordable services? A number in a tweet is not a family budget.” In its June 22, 2026, letter to the House Financial Services Committee, DCUC explained that interchange revenue helps defense credit unions support fraud prevention, cybersecurity, rewards, low- or no-fee products, deployment-related assistance, and access in military communities. DCUC warned that reducing revenue without reducing the cost of delivering those services could create pressure for higher fees elsewhere, fewer benefits, or reduced access to affordable financial products. Those are potential consequences, not predetermined outcomes, and must be weighed against any projected consumer savings. “For a deployed servicemember, financial readiness means knowing a spouse can handle an emergency back home,” Hernandez stressed. “For a military family, cash back can help buy groceries, rewards can help cover a trip home, and an affordable loan can keep a car repair from becoming a crisis. Those benefits should not be put at risk for savings nobody is required to deliver.” DCUC urged Congress to reject the Marshall–Durbin bill and called on the Administration and Congress to consult defense credit unions, servicemembers, veterans, and military families before advancing changes to the credit-card payments system. “We are ready to work with President Trump and Congress on real relief,” Stverak adds. “Success should be measured by what a military family keeps after all the tradeoffs, not simply what a retailer stops paying. Those who serve deserve a better deal.” Learn more about DCUC’s opposition to the CCCA here.

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Originally reported by DCUC.