Small business owners who were helped by credit union lending and a banking lobbyist were also sourced.

Matz told the Washington Post the current MBL cap is so low, some credit unions don't advertise that they make business loans because they don't want to turn away business.

CUNA President/CEO Bill Cheney discussed member business lending Monday during a segment on NPR's Kojo Nnamdi Show titled “Tough Times Financing Small Businesses.”

Cheney responded to a banker argument that credit unions weren't meant to do business lending.

“Credit unions were meant to make loans to their members, for whatever purpose, and we've been making business loans for more than 100 years,” Cheney said. “We need strong banks making loans to small businesses, and no one is suggesting that that should stop. We just think that credit unions should be able to do more.”

Cheney acknowledged that MBL legislation faces an uphill battle during this election year, but said S. 2231 has “strong, bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate.”

Credit unions also received support for member business lending legislation on local Washington station WTOP from Steve Pociask, president of the American Consumer Institute. The radio segment discussed the tougher environment that small businesses find themselves in and barriers inhibiting the entry of new small businesses: restricted access to capital, and regulations and taxes.

“Last year, 60% of small businesses experienced a rejection from banks. That is high,” Pociask told the show's host, Shirley Rooker.

“It's not that the funds aren't available,” he said, citing data that “credit unions have expanded loans to small businesses by 40%, but regulators have capped credit unions' lending and the cap slows down credit unions' ability.”

Indeed, credit union business lending increased 5.8% over the past year to $37.89 billion in the first quarter, according to the NCUA. In comparison, the FDIC reported a 3.7% decline in bank small business loans for the same period, at $584 billion.