ACU Caucus 2026: Day 1--Credit Unions Focus On Congress, Elections And Grassroots Power
By CU Today Staff —
WASHINGTON—America’s Credit Unions opened the first full day of its 2026 Congressional Caucus Monday with industry leaders emphasizing bipartisan advocacy, grassroots engagement and relationship-building as credit unions seek to move several legislative priorities before Congress wraps up its work for the year.
The Washington gathering, which runs Sept. 13-15, comes during the final week both the House and Senate are scheduled to be in session together before the November general election. More than 500 credit unions are represented in Washington for Caucus and related Hill visits, according to America’s Credit Unions. Among the association’s year-end priorities are legislation addressing check fraud, updating Bank Secrecy Act reporting thresholds and increasing federal credit union loan maturity limits.
During an advocacy outlook session, America’s Credit Unions Senior Vice President of Advocacy Greg Mesack said Congress has limited legislative time remaining and noted that must-pass measures, including the National Defense Authorization Act and federal funding legislation, could provide vehicles for bipartisan credit union provisions.
“The good news is we can work with both parties, and we’ve done a good job of building a brand with both parties that is respected and trusted,” Mesack said. “They see that our goal is helping Americans.”
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Meghan Burris Small stressed that direct engagement by credit unions in lawmakers’ home states and districts gives the industry’s advocacy efforts greater weight.
“We work every day to get data and information to share with you, but helping members is a story you hear every single day, that you’re a part of every single day,” she said. “It's one thing for lawmakers and regulators to hear from the team at America's Credit Unions, and it's a different thing for those lawmakers to hear directly from their constituents, their voters, businesses on Main Street. That makes a real impact.”
Vice President of Policy Engagement and Credit Union Operations Ann Petros said grassroots advocacy should also be viewed as part of a credit union’s long-term risk strategy.
“Incorporating advocacy grassroots is a resilience strategy that ensures that you're prepared for any potential legislative and regulatory shocks that may come down the road that could impact your long-term operational stability,” she said. “This protects our industry, it protects your institution, and it’s something we can only do together.”
That theme carried into Monday’s breakout sessions. A political engagement panel featuring GoWest Credit Union Association Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer Jennifer Wagner, Georgia’s Own Credit Union Senior Vice President of Strategy and Governmental Affairs Brandee Bickle and 1st MidAmerica Credit Union CEO Alan Meyer focused on building relationships with lawmakers well before votes occur and involving credit union members in advocacy.
Meyer said his credit union found that once it began communicating with members about political advocacy, the process became easier to repeat.
“After the first [member communication], with no negative impact from a membership perspective, the next time we came back to the board and relayed another opportunity, there were no hesitations,” Meyer said.
“Taking those steps above and beyond what most people are doing has an exponential impact,” Wagner said. Meyer added that once institutions educate employees and begin participating, “Once you get started, it becomes part of your DNA.”
Another session looked beyond the 2026 elections. Head of Legislative Advocacy Brad Thaler said credit unions’ bipartisan relationships and bipartisan sponsorship of many industry-backed bills provide potential paths forward regardless of which party controls Congress in 2027. Head of Regulatory Advocacy James Akin said the association will continue pressing for regulatory relief with newly installed NCUA Chairman John Crews and the Administration. Crews is scheduled to address caucus attendees Tuesday in his first in-person appearance as chairman.
State policy also received attention, with Petros joining Alaska Credit Union League President Tim Sullivan, New York Credit Union Association Chief Advocacy Officer Amy Kramer and Honor Credit Union Chief Strategy Officer Heather Luciani to discuss the growing interplay between state and federal policy. Issues included state interchange legislation, differing state privacy and artificial intelligence laws and policies that can affect the competitive position of state-chartered credit unions.
A separate communications panel examined how narratives and relationships can shape legislation long before lawmakers vote. Panelists emphasized sustained communication rather than relying on a single lobbying push.
Brad Bishop, senior vice president of public relations at The Daily Wire, summed up the challenge by noting that “every policy has a story behind it.” The panel urged credit union leaders to repeatedly demonstrate their local impact to lawmakers and congressional staff, emphasizing that “repetition and consistency are key.”
Originally reported by CU Today.