Let’s face it, the issue of banks selling to credit unions has proven to be unfortunately durable, particularly on Capitol Hill. It came up early and often during the tax reform debate earlier this year; a number of credit union friends, particularly those with their hands on the pen as the One Big Beautiful Bill was being drafted, explicitly told credit union advocates that “you are going to have to deal with this. It’s not something that most of Congress agrees with credit unions on.”

​As Congress returns to session in fall 2025, the defense credit union community can take pride in recent advocacy wins and prepare for the challenges ahead. The Defense Credit Union Council’s proactive, bipartisan efforts have protected servicemembers’ financial interests and ensured credit unions have a voice at the policy table. At the same time, DCUC remains clear-eyed about the work to be done. The late-2025 legislative landscape presents both opportunities and threats—from safeguarding military financial protections to positioning credit unions for future innovation. In this outlook, we recap the recent victories and map out the key policy priorities on the horizon as Congress gets back to work.

In today’s credit union industry, we are seeing a rapidly evolving landscape, which means the role of trade associations and leagues has never been more important.
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Apart from serving their members, credit unions join and invest their trust in these organizations to fuel their collaborative spirit-- advancing advocacy, sharing ideas and innovation, and building meaningful connections across the industry. This has and continues to be one of the many hallmarks of our industry’s success. Yet, it is not just about “feel good” moments that fuel this effort. Collaboration comes with certain expectations and responsibilities.