WASHINGTON — Even though U.S. Representative Melvin Watt's visit last week to the $143 million Charlotte Metro Credit Union was not part of the formal push among credit unions to meet their representatives in their home districts this year, credit union lobbyists say it's the kind of thing they hope happens a lot.
"In the wake of the previous congressional travel scandals, there are fewer representatives traveling this year," explained John Magill, CUNA's senior vice president for legislative affairs. "So while they are home we want to make sure that credit unions make a visit and give them something to discuss."
Lobbyists say that trying to get contact with legislators while they are at home is something that credit unions should try to do whenever they have the opportunity, but this year with the Credit Union Regulatory Improvements Act still in the legislative process it is more important than usual to keep lawmakers in touch with CU issues.
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The effort to pass CURIA has been gaining steady momentum this year and the lobbyists say they want to keep it going across the break.
The lobbyists urged credit unions to try for any contact possible. If the representative may not be available, are the members of their staffs who address financial service issues around, Magill explained.
CUNA lobbyists Magill and Richard Gose said that most of the work the association is putting together is being organized by leagues in different states and that they would not have a more complete count of how many legislators or legislative staffs they were able to contact until later on in the month.
Magill reported on one visit credit union supporters made to his former employer, Representative Wally Herger, (R-Calif.) already, saying that he had heard back from the congressman's staff that the visit had been very productive and informative. Before coming to CUNA, Magill had been Herger's chief of staff.
Likewise NAFCU is making a similar effort, working with its member CUs across the country to lay a foundation of representative support and education for CURIA.
"With a possible CURIA hearing set for the fall we want to make sure that as many representatives as possible hear from their credit union constituents about how important they view this issue," explained Brad Thaler, NAFCU's director of political and
legislative affairs.
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