WASHINGTON – Ari Fleischer, former White House Press Secretary under former President George W. Bush, told CU Times the Republican-controlled Senate could help the credit union regulatory relief agenda.
The Republican-led House passed many bills supported by CUNA and NAFCU in the last session of Congress, which failed to pass in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Fleischer said there would be more action in the new session of Congress.
"I think you're going to see a very different agenda in the Senate under (Majority Leader) Mitch McConnell. I think you're going to see a lot more action and at least more votes," Fleischer said after his speech at CUNA's Governmental Affairs Conference on Monday.
"Whether or not that can cross a hurdle of 60 votes and be signed by the president is another question, but I know that Mitch McConnell has a real anti-regulatory environment that he wants to create. So probably better prospects this year, but there's still a lot of gridlock in this town," he added.
Fleisher said he has been a member of the $813 million Wright Patman Congressional Federal Credit Union since 1983. He praised the credit union for its service.
"I became a member frankly because it was located in my building when I went to work there in 1983, but I've kept it for all those years because the service is so good; that's what I like about it," he said.
Fleisher is particularly satisfied with the bill pay service offered by the credit union.
"I probably could get these [services] at a traditional bank but it's bill payer and the ease at which I pay all my bills through the credit union is what I like about it. I don't want to recreate that anywhere else and Congressional credit union does it, and they do it well. Everything about working with them has been wonderful," he said during the interview.
CU Times also asked Fleischer about a proposed bill that would change the structure of the CFPB bill to a five-person commission from a single director.
"I'm just suspect that when the government sets these things up they just don't work. You have to have very limited experience finding examples of government boards and agencies, particularly big onerous ones like this, that area actually effective and improve things but they actually bog things down," he said. "They sound good but they actually don't deliver and that would be my fear here."
The former CNN analyst offered advice to credit union leaders on their advocacy efforts during GAC.
"The most important thing is to be genuine and have a lot of numbers and when you look at the crowd that was here today – strength in numbers – and when people go up and they meet with the people from their state and their district, hometown folks making the case has an impact on Capitol Hill. It has to be credible, it has to be genuine, it has to be heartfelt and you get the sense from the membership here that's who they are," he said.
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