DCUC Urges Thune and Schumer to Keep Commissary Interchange Amendment Out of FY2027 NDAA

By DCUC Staff — October 30, 2026

Council warns that a commissary study could advance payment mandates that putmilitary families’ financial security at risk.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) is urging Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to reject any commissary interchange amendment in the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including a study or report intended to advance restrictions on payment-card interchange or routing.

In a letter addressed to the Senate leaders, DCUC Chief Advocacy Officer Jason Stverak calls for excluding the provision from floor amendment packages, any manager’s amendment, negotiations, and the final defense bill. DCUC also opposes using the NDAA to advance the Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA) or related Durbin-Marshall routing mandates. “Military families should never be used to sell a payments policy that could leave them with higher costs and fewer financial options,” said Stverak. “Putting the word ‘commissary’ in an amendment does not establish a benefit for the people who shop there. Senate leaders should reject this provision and demand evidence that any proposed change will actually strengthen military families’ financial security.” DCUC’s letter explains that a study would not itself impose the CCCA’s routing requirements. The Council’s concern is that a study framed around reducing interchange could become the foundation for broader mandates without fully accounting for fraud prevention, cybersecurity, credit access, and the benefits cardholders receive. “Defense credit unions help families manage the financial demands of deployments, military moves, and unexpected emergencies,” said Anthony Hernandez, DCUC President and CEO. “Congress should protect the institutions and payment services those families count on. We strongly oppose using the NDAA to advance an interchange agenda that puts those services at risk without a demonstrated benefit to servicemembers and veterans.” Interchange helps support the costs of providing payment cards, monitoring fraud, and maintaining reliable service. DCUC warns that reducing revenue while leaving those obligations in place could put pressure on member fees, card benefits, and credit availability. Smaller institutions could also experience effects from changes across payment networks even when they are outside a mandate’s direct coverage. The letter urges lawmakers to distinguish lower processing expenses from proven savings for consumers. It also calls for protecting military patrons’ financial privacy and addressing any concerns about commissary charges through targeted policy and funding decisions. The request builds on DCUC’s June 29, 2026 FY2027 NDAA letter, which explicitly opposed commissary and exchange card-fee studies and related payment-routing provisions. Earlier advocacy includes Hernandez’s July 15, 2024 Senate letter, the August 19, 2025 coalition letter opposing the CCCA and commissary study, and Stverak’s September 1, 2025 Armed Services letter. DCUC’s September 2, 2025 statement likewise warned of risks to military families and the institutions serving them. “Our opposition has been clear across multiple defense authorization cycles,” Stverak added. “A study that becomes the launching point for harmful payment mandates deserves the same scrutiny as the mandates themselves. We are asking both Senate leaders to keep this language out of the final bill.” DCUC continues to support bipartisan financial-readiness reforms developed with the relevant congressional committees, including measures addressing credit union liquidity, loan-maturity authority, and veteran business lending. Its September 8, 2026 letter outlined that constructive approach to the FY2027 NDAA.

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Originally reported by DCUC.