 Your weekly advocacy update: Stay informed, take action, and champion the voice of America’s defense credit unions! This week, DCUC celebrated a significant advocacy win with the exclusion of harmful Durbin–Marshall language from the final FY2026 NDAA, even as we voiced strong disappointment over the omission of bipartisan-supported CLF and CDFI provisions. We continued advancing credit union priorities by urging Congress to modernize the outdated MBL cap and preparing input for the anticipated 2026 NCUA Board meeting. DCUC also joined a broad coalition calling on the Federal Reserve to withdraw its proposed Regulation II amendments and engaged in several impactful discussions highlighting the critical importance of credit union advocacy. Stay up to speed as we push forward! Follow along with our weekly announcements here. Top Priorities This Past Week We expressed our disappointment that the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) excludes critical credit union provisions that were part of the Senate-passed version. These provisions, adopted with overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate, would have strengthened the National Credit Union Administration’s (NCUA) Central Liquidity Facility (CLF) and enhanced the U.S. Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. We are still encouraged that the final NDAA draft does not include harmful language on credit card interchange (CCCA/Durbin–Marshall proposals). These outcomes reflect DCUC’s aggressive advocacy on the NDAA throughout the year on behalf of all credit unions and the communities they serve. “The exclusion of these proposals and CCCA-like amendments in this year’s defense bill protects the financial well-being of servicemembers and veteran communities, as well as the stability provided by credit unions and the broader financial system that supports them,” says Anthony Hernandez, DCUC President/CEO. As the NDAA awaits a final approval by the Senate, we expect final passage by early next week and a prompt send to the President’s desk. Once complete, attention will quickly turn to next year’s NDAA process, where DCUC will continue leading efforts to protect and advance credit union priorities and impact. Read more here. DCUC is also awaiting final actions related to the upcoming NCUA Board meeting and remains hopeful that many of the reforms we supported during the public comment period will be considered. View our previous comments to the NCUA here. Ahead of the House Small Business Committee hearing, “From Service to Startup: Empowering Veteran Entrepreneurs,” we sent a letter to Chairman Roger Williams and Ranking Member Nydia Velázquez highlighting the urgent need to expand access to capital for America’s military and veteran entrepreneurs. DCUC urged the Committee to recognize the need to modernize the outdated Member Business Lending (MBL) cap, which limits federally chartered credit unions to business loans totaling no more than 12.25% of their assets. Unlike banks, credit unions face this statutory cap even when they are well-capitalized and ready to lend. As a result, many veteran entrepreneurs are turned away, not because of credit risk, but because of the arbitrary ceiling. Read more here. DCUC joined a broad coalition of leading financial services associations and organizations in submitting a joint letter to Ms. Ann E. Misback, Secretary of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The coalition urged the Federal Reserve to withdraw its 2023 proposed amendments to Regulation II, citing ongoing legal uncertainty and outdated data used to support the proposal. See a brief summary of the letter here. Celebrating Progress, Advancing Our Shared Mission
We invite you to view this short message from DCUC’s President/CEO for a powerful look at this year’s achievements, our ongoing commitment to member value, and the collective impact credit unions continue to make in the communities they serve. Advocacy Discussions The CUInsight Network podcast: Advocacy – DCUC & Atlas Advocacy, featured on CUInsight  In this episode of The CUInsight Network, host Robbie Young sits down with DCUC's Chief Advocacy Officer, Jason Stverak, and Elizabeth Eurgubian, Government Relations and Advocacy Consultant at Atlas Advocacy, for a powerful conversation about the future of credit union advocacy. Together, they explore why every employee, from frontline staff to CEOs, plays a crucial role in shaping how policymakers understand credit unions, and how real stories from the field can influence decisions on Capitol Hill. Jason also shares behind-the-scenes insights from the recent government shutdown and how credit unions’ community leadership caught the attention of lawmakers. Elizabeth highlights why authentic storytelling matters and previews key regulatory developments coming from NCUA, including digital assets, cybersecurity, and long-overdue regulatory updates. If you’re looking for a candid discussion on what sets credit unions apart, and how we can amplify that impact, this is an episode you won’t want to miss! Credit Unions Are No ‘Acquisition Machine’ – They’re Community Builders, featured on CUToday A recent article titled “The Community Bank Acquisition Machine” portrays credit unions as aggressive predators buying up community banks. As the leader of the Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC), I refuse to let that misinformation stand. Let’s set the record straight: when credit unions acquire banks, it’s a voluntary, market-driven decision by both parties – not a hostile takeover. In each case, the community bank’s own board approves the sale, often choosing a credit union buyer as the best hope to keep local banking services alive. These sales are mutual agreements made for the benefit of customers and the community, not coerced conquests. The CUInsight Trendline: Special Year-End Edition, featured on CUInsight  Bankers’ “transparency” push is a thinly veiled attack on credit unions, featured on CUInsight
Let’s call this latest lobbying effort what it is: a banking lobby power play cloaked in the rhetoric of “transparency.” As Chief Advocacy Officer of the Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC), I have watched with growing alarm as bank lobbyists on Capitol Hill push to force federal credit unions to file IRS Form 990—an annual reporting form for tax-exempt entities—under the guise of accountability. Forcing federal credit unions to file Form 990 is unnecessary, duplicative, and nothing more than a bank-lobby gambit designed to burden credit unions, not some good-faith reform. It’s a solution in search of a problem. Comments are closed.
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