Credit Union Priorities Face Tight Window As Congress Returns
By CU Today Staff —
WASHINGTON—Credit union legislation is unlikely to advance on its own during the dwindling days of the current Congress, forcing advocates to attach their priorities to a small number of must-pass bills, according to Defense Credit Union Council Chief Advocacy Officer Jason Stverak.
“The reality we have to live with is that Congress is going to be here for a very finite amount of time, and credit union issues we’re going to have to try to wedge into the bills that are being considered,” Stverak said during DCUC’s Monday morning media call.
The House returned Monday for an abbreviated session lasting through Thursday, while the Senate remains in recess until Sept. 15. The House’s chief task is expected to be approving the Senate-passed continuing resolution, which would fund the federal government through Dec. 11. Stverak said passage would provide certainty for federal employees, military personnel and the Coast Guard—as well as the credit unions that often assist them during shutdowns—but would only push the larger funding fight into December.
“Our message this week is to pass the CR, protect federal and military service, complete the fiscal year 2027 appropriations process without another manufactured crisis that our credit unions have to step in and deal with,” Stverak said.
He cautioned that once the CR passes, House leaders could cancel some or all of the chamber’s three remaining scheduled work periods before the November election, further narrowing the legislative opening.
One opportunity comes Wednesday, when the House Financial Services Committee holds a hearing titled “Strengthening the American Economy: Promoting Growth, Opportunity, and Prosperity.” Among the legislation under discussion will be H.R. 7866, the American Lending Fairness Act of 2026, which Stverak said DCUC supports. The bill would clarify federal law governing state interest-rate opt-outs and seek to preserve lending parity among federally and state-chartered financial institutions.
DCUC is also looking toward the National Defense Authorization Act as a possible vehicle for credit union priorities. Those include legislation from Sens. Alex Padilla and Kevin Cramer addressing federal credit union loan maturities and a proposal expanding credit union business-lending authority involving veterans. The NDAA remains stalled in the Senate, which is expected to prioritize the Clarity Act governing digital assets when senators return.
America’s Credit Unions Monday said its remaining priorities include passing the recently introduced Credit Union Investment Authority Act, which would broaden investment options available to federal credit unions, and the STOP Payments Fraud Act of 2026, which would give credit unions additional tools to combat check and payment fraud. The association is also pressing Congress to modernize currency transaction report and suspicious activity report thresholds that have not kept pace with inflation.
The association is additionally working with lawmakers toward a Senate agreement on the Clarity Act while opposing the Credit Card Competition Act, which gained new attention after Sens. Bernie Moreno and Cynthia Lummis became co-sponsors shortly before the August recess. Meanwhile, Stverak said Monday marks the first full week for John Crews as NCUA chairman, adding that DCUC looks forward to working with him on issues affecting defense and veteran-serving credit unions.
Originally reported by CU Today.