I've written about member business lending so many times that I've run out of new ways to get this column started. Just get it done already.

Unfortunately, it's not that easy. Credit union professionals and volunteers are going to be the ones to get this done, not CUNA and NAFCU. Of course, they play an important part–not as debatable as some might think–but it's the constituents (you) who serve other constituents (your members) that can make a greater impression on members of Congress. The paid lobbyists educate the senators and congressmen and their staffers, and they carry the names that can get a meeting scheduled. However, it's a credit union executive's and volunteer's duty to meet with their representatives on the Hill and bring the issues down to a local level and personalize and monetize them.

CUNA estimates that the current legislation could bring 140,000 jobs to the American economy, and CEO Bill Cheney announced another effort during CUNA's annual conference to create a unified message around such statistics as credit unions save American families $150 a year each. Use that or you'll be even more effective armed with localized statistics from your state leagues or other resources. Demonstrate to members of Congress exactly why this legislation is important to their voting districts.