`National' Hike the Hill Not Slowing Down Caucus

WASHINGTON-Despite CUNA planning the culmination of its National Hike the Hill month the week before NAFCU’s Congressional Caucus, NAFCU says it has not dampened the enthusiasm of its members to attend the conference. “Our program is really the only place that you can come and hear all these great speakers in one place at one time,” NAFCU Director of Legislative and Political Affairs Brad Thaler remarked. He said the group has been hearing from their members and they are very excited about attending the Caucus. “Our Congressional Caucus numbers remain at their historical levels,” Thaler added, which has been around 400-500 over the last few years. Whether CUNA’s activities will detract from the Caucus, NAFCU Senior Vice President and General Counsel Bill Donovan said, remains to be seen. “I think that’s an assessment we’ll make after the fact. We have no reason to think at all that it’s going to detract from our activities,” he surmised, “and I think that the roster of speakers from the administration, Capitol Hill and NCUA that we have lined up to participate in our Congressional Caucus is probably second to none.” Donovan pointed out that attendees have had no problems getting appointments with lawmakers and their staff on the Hill.