WASHINGTON — Complaining that "for too long others have defined what credit unions can be and should be," CUNA President/CEO Bill Cheney said today that CUNA plans to beef up its political and lobbying efforts.
He said at the opening session of CUNA's Governmental Affairs Conference that they would implement a 535-seat strategy so they can elect more allies to help achieve their agenda in Congress.
"Credit unions aren't going anywhere; we are here to stay. But in order for us to win, we have to improve the environment," he said.
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Cheney, who is presiding over his first GAC since taking the top spot at CUNA last summer, said the top legislative priorities are debit interchange, supplemental capital, preserving the credit union tax exemption and raising the cap on member business lending. He said credit unions should use the public's favorable opinions of credit unions should help gain support for their agenda.
"We can keep our tax exemption as long as we tell our story," he said.
Cheney also said that fixing the debit interchange amendment is key because it is a "train wreck for consumers."
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