Newsroom

January 03, 2017

NAFCU on the Hill for 115th Congress' swearing-in

Slideshow from Tuesday's activities (click arrows to scroll)

NAFCU President and CEO Dan Berger and other senior staff were on Capitol Hill yesterday for the opening of the 115th Congress, representing credit unions and welcoming new and returning legislators as they were sworn in.

Executive Vice President and General Counsel Carrie Hunt, Vice President of Legislative Affairs Brad Thaler and other NAFCU representatives attended numerous swearing-in ceremonies and receptions Tuesday.

"We welcome the new and returning legislators to Congress and we look forward to working with them and the incoming Trump administration to create meaningful regulatory relief for credit unions," said NAFCU President and CEO Dan Berger. "We hope lawmakers will recognize credit unions' unique status as not-for-profit, member-owned financial institutions and help us create the kind of environment they need to serve their members."

Throughout the day, the NAFCU representatives touted the association's focus on its 2017 top priorities, which include a continued focus on the preservation of the credit union tax exemption, pushing the CFPB to use its authority under the Dodd-Frank Act to exempt credit unions from regulations, and the elimination of the Durbin amendment. NAFCU's top 2017 priorities are listed in a special issue of NAFCU's UPDATE, released Tuesday.

NAFCU's Berger and senior staff met with a number of credit union friends from both sides of the aisle amid Tuesday's ceremonies, including: Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, the presumptive chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and a member of the Senate Finance Committee; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas; House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas; House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and; Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., ranking member of the House Small Business Committee.

NAFCU staff also met with the following:

• Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., a member of the Senate Small Business Committee;
• Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., a member of the Senate Banking and Finance Committees;
• Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., a member of the Senate Finance Committee;
• Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee;
• Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a member of the Senate Banking Committee;
• Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who is in Congress for his first term;
• Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., a member of the House Financial Services Committee;
• Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., a member of the House Financial Services Committee;
• Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Mich., a member of the House Financial Services Committee;
• Rep. Denny Heck, D-Wash., a member of the House Financial Services Committee;
• Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., a member of the House Financial Services Committee;
• Rep. Trey Hollingsworth, R-Ind., who is in Congress for his first term;
• Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., a member of the House Financial Services Committee;
• Rep. Randy Hultgren, R-Ill., a member of the House Financial Services Committee;
• Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., a member of the House Financial Services and Small Business Committees;
• Rep. Tom O'Halleran, D-Ariz., who is in Congress for his first term;
• Rep. Bruce Poliquin, R-Maine, a member of the House Financial Services Committee;
• Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., a former House member who is returning this year; and
• Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., a member of the House Financial Services Committee.