 Your weekly advocacy update: Stay informed, take action, and champion the voice of America’s defense credit unions! This week was packed with activity, including Hanscom FCU’s Peter Rice testifying before the Senate Banking Committee on Deposit Insurance Reform, member credit unions hiking the Hill, and the House passage of the FY2026 NDAA without any CCCA amendments. Stay up to speed as we push forward! Follow along with our weekly announcements here. Top Priorities This Past Week
Hanscom FCU Testifies Before Senate
Banking Crisis Threatens Americans' Paychecks, Communities, and National Security
He warned that implicit protections for the largest banks create dangerous ripple effects—driving deposits away from local financial institutions, starving small businesses of credit, and undermining the defense supply chain.
“When their payroll is at risk, America’s stability is at risk. When their local banks are weakened, Main Street is weakened. And when small businesses stumble due to corporate greed, our national security stumbles, too," Rice added.
This past Monday, DCUC and Hanscom Federal Credit Union officially announced Rice was confirmed as a key witness for the hearing, and both DCUC and HFCU thanked the Committee for the opportunity. DCUC attended the hearing in support of HFCU and issued a joint press release to recap the full discussion. “Yesterday’s confirmation of Hanscom FCU’s testimony at the hearing is a tremendous win for two reasons,” said Anthony Hernandez, DCUC President/CEO. “First, it highlights the impact of our members and the credit union mission. DCUC’s advocacy is designed for moments like this…to ensure that credit unions are a part of key discussions that evaluate how financial institutions serve the American public. We knew banks would be testifying, so we made sure credit unions were represented, too.” Hernandez added, “Second, this underscores the willingness of Congressional leaders to hear directly from local financial institutions that are helping small businesses and communities thrive.” Key Meetings This Week DCUC and Earnest Consulting Group Reaffirm Strategic Partnership DCUC and Earnest Consulting Group (ECG) have reaffirmed their strategic partnership, furthering their shared mission to support all credit unions and the communities they serve. This alliance expands resources and advocacy for credit unions, providing innovative solutions, tailored products, and effective industry representation. DCUC President/CEO Anthony Hernandez and ECG President/CEO Michael Pappalardo recently met to discuss opportunities to advance the credit union movement, address key priorities, and celebrate shared achievements. Read more here.  On Thursday, Scott Simpson, CEO of California, Nevada, and Utah credit union leagues and incoming President/CEO of America’s Credit Unions (ACU), and Anthony (Tony) Hernandez, President/CEO of the Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC), met to discuss the future of the credit union movement. Both Simpson and Hernandez highlighted the opportunities to strengthen communications, expand growth, and advance advocacy as the industry looks ahead. Read more here. Advocacy Discussions Government Funding With the fiscal year approaching its end, DCUC hopes Congress will act to keep the government open. Credit unions are already preparing to support their members’ financial needs in the event of a potential government shutdown.
House Passes NDAA Without CCCA Amendments DCUC commended the U.S. House of Representatives for passing H.R. 3838 – Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 without the addition of the controversial Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA) amendments. “On behalf of credit unions and the military communities we serve, we thank the House for advancing the NDAA without harmful amendments,” said Anthony Hernandez, DCUC President/CEO. “We applaud Congressional leaders for rejecting this shortsighted measure and for protecting the financial well-being of America’s servicemembers, veterans, and their families.” Read more here. Banks selling to credit unions: Strengthening communities, not draining them, featured on Tyfone Ken Hale's recent op-ed, "The hidden cost of credit union-bank purchases," warns that when a bank is sold to a credit union, local communities lose out – especially through lost tax revenue. He cites Louisiana examples where such sales would "rob that community of a critical source of revenue." As someone who works daily with credit unions and the communities they serve, I respectfully disagree. The notion that banks selling to credit unions drains communities is misleading. In reality, these voluntary sales are often community-saving partnerships that preserve hometown financial services and keep banking local... Read more here. The Defense CU Council Goes on the Offense in an Echo from CU History, featured on The CUDaily It’s a long way and many decades since a small group of frustrated credit union leaders came together to form NAFCU at the Cockatoo Inn in Hawthorne, Calif., in 1967. And yet, 58 years later, there are some parallels afoot as America’s Credit Unions hosts its Congressional Caucus this week in Washington — and not just because the Caucus used to be a NAFCU event. The Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC), once a small niche group narrowly focused on military credit unions with only a part-time presence on Capitol Hill, has mobilized and brought in reinforcements in recent years. Read more here. DCUC to Congress: Pass the CLF Enhancement Act, featured on Tyfone
When a financial crisis hits, Wall Street isn't the one keeping the lights on in small towns, on military bases, or in underserved neighborhoods – local credit unions are. These community-based, member-owned institutions serve 142 million Americans, including military families and rural communities often overlooked by big banks. But today, the emergency liquidity safety net that credit unions rely on has a dangerous gaping hole. Congress can fix this immediately, at no cost to taxpayers, by passing the bipartisan NCUA Central Liquidity Facility Enhancements Act (S. 2545), introduced by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND). This is a rare chance for lawmakers to come together across party lines to protect working families' financial security, and it must not be squandered. Read more here. Comments are closed.
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