Engaging with key policymakers as tax bill moves forward

Credit unions and leagues are making visits with lawmakers on Capitol Hill and in-district  - keeping up the momentum of their tax advocacy strategy as the House budget reconciliation bill works its way through the legislative process and towards a House vote.

The Utah Credit Union Association and credit union CEOs Sterling Nielsen from Mountain America Credit Union and Darin Moody from Utah First Federal Credit Union joined with America’s Credit Unions to meet with the state’s Congressional delegation. That included meeting in the offices of Sens. Mike Lee, R, and John Curtis, R, and hosting members and staff from the offices of Reps. Blake Moore, R (a member of the House Ways and Means and Budget Committees), Celeste Maloy, R, Mike Kennedy, R, and Burgess Owens, R.

The New York Credit Union Association (NYCUA) hosted an in-district meeting Monday with Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. Along with NYCUA and America’s Credit Unions, Four Leaf Federal Credit Union Senior Executive Administrator Michelle LaTorre and Assistant Vice President of Government Affairs Robert Suarez, Teachers Federal Credit Union Community Affairs Manager Liana Werner, and Municipal Credit Union CEO Kyle Markland were in attendance.

The Tennessee Credit Union League also helped ensure support for the credit union tax status remained through the drafting process. Chief Advocacy Officer Sarah Waters traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with offices of Rep. David Kustoff, R, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Reps. John Rose, R, and Andy Olges, R, members of the House Financial Services Committee.

Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) also took part in Hill efforts in advance of the committee hearing, bringing House Ways and Means Committee member Rep. Michelle Fischbach together with Chief Advocacy Officer Ryan Smith, Co-op Credit Union President/CEO Kayla Reiffenberger, and Magnifi Financial Credit Union CEO Chuck Friedrichs.

MnCUN President/CEO Mara Humphrey explains why continued grassroots and in-person outreach in the tax fight is important, not just for credit unions, but for members and consumers.

“Any tax on credit unions would be a tax directly on their members. It would be a tax directly on the 2.2 million Minnesotans who are credit union members,” she said. “Because we are member-owned, the tax would hit every single one of our members, and that is not something we want to see. We are here to advocate for our credit union members, and that’s why we have to fight the tax fight so hard.”

 
The House Budget Committee is scheduled to meet Friday to assemble the bill from Ways and Means into a complete package with sections from the other House committees, and maintaining tax advocacy strategy momentum is critical as the tax reconciliation bill moves forward. Resources are available on the Don’t Tax My Credit Union website, and on America’s Credit Unions website, which includes a social media toolkit, press kit, and more.