DCUC Letter Calls for Military Financial Readiness Priorities in FY2027 NDAA

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) sent a letter to House leadership and Members ahead of floor consideration of the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 8800), urging Congress to keep the NDAA focused on national defense and military readiness. ​

“As the House considers H.R. 8800, DCUC does not seek to weigh in on every provision of the bill. Our request is focused: please keep the NDAA centered on national defense and military readiness, reject last-minute unrelated financial-services riders, and include targeted bipartisan provisions that strengthen military financial readiness if there is an opportunity to do so,” wrote Jason Stverak, DCUC Chief Advocacy Officer. 
 
DCUC called on lawmakers to reject unrelated, harmful financial services provisions, including interchange and payment-routing mandates, commissary or exchange card-fee studies, proposals to extend federal credit union share insurance to non-members, and other late-stage changes affecting military financial services. 
 
“This includes the Credit Card Competition Act, the Durbin-Marshall interchange proposal, any credit card routing mandate, any debit or credit interchange cap or restriction, and any so-called “study,” pilot, report, or data-collection exercise aimed at interchange fees at military commissaries, exchanges, or other on-base retail locations.” 
 
As part of the recommendations, DCUC explained why the NDAA should not be used to authorize non-member deposits, provide NCUSIF coverage to non-members, or otherwise “blur” the membership nexus that is central to the credit union model.  
 
“Federal credit unions are member-owned cooperatives. The share insurance framework exists to protect members and is funded by credit unions. Expanding share insurance to non-members through late-stage NDAA language would create safety-and-soundness concerns, strain the share insurance framework, disrupt the credit union charter, and destabilize the on-base financial-services environment that military families rely upon. If Congress wishes to consider deposit or share insurance reform, it should do so through regular order with the House Financial Services Committee, NCUA, affected institutions, and member-owners fully engaged.” 
 
DCUC warned against any last-minute provisions that alter the way qualified on-base financial institutions serve military installations, commissaries, exchanges, or military-connected communities, without meaningful consultation with the Department of War, NCUA, and the institutions that serve military or veteran members. 
 
To strengthen military financial readiness, DCUC called for the inclusion of the bipartisan Veterans Member Business Loan Act (VMBLA), Padilla-Cramer Central Liquidity Facility (CLF) reforms, and greater loan maturity flexibility for federal credit unions. 
 
“Defense credit unions are financial readiness partners for the military community, providing trusted financial services before, during, and after military service,” says Anthony Hernandez, DCUC President/CEO, Ret. U.S. Air Force Colonel. “The NDAA should strengthen, not distract from, our national defense mission. Congress should reject last-minute financial services riders that have no place in defense legislation while supporting practical, bipartisan measures that expand access to credit, strengthen financial resilience, and better serve military families.” ​