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NAFCU has awarded Reps. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., the NAFCU Credit Union Champion Award in recognition of their leadership and track record of success on important credit union industry issues. NAFCU's Congressional Credit Union Champion Awards honor members of Congress who have shown extraordinary dedication to supporting credit unions through introduction of credit union-friendly legislation, cosponsoring of credit union-friendly legislation, leading or signing on to "Dear Colleague” letters, and exhibiting a pro-credit-union voting record.

First elected in 2014, Rep. Tom Emmer represents the 6^th District of Minnesota and currently serves as the Chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, coordinating efforts for House Republicans in the 2022 midterm elections. Emmer is a champion of credit unions in Congress. In 2020, he introduced the NAFCU-supported Credit Union Governance Modernization Act (CUGMA) to streamline member expulsion processes. He reintroduced this legislation in 2021 and assembled a bipartisan group of legislators to back the effort, including Perlmutter. These efforts led to the bill’s inclusion in the fiscal year 2022 omnibus spending bill that was signed into law earlier this year.  In addition, Emmer successfully led efforts against a NAFCU-opposed proposal to create additional IRS reporting requirements for financial institutions – first included as part of the Build Back Better Act in 2021.

First elected in 2006, Rep. Ed Perlmutter is currently in his eighth and final term serving the 7^th District of Colorado and serves as the Chair of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions, a position through which he has been able to shepherd credit union legislation through the committee. Perlmutter has championed several NAFCU-supported bills, including CUGMA, the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, and the Expanding Access for Underserved Communities Act. Perlmutter has also spearheaded several credit union initiatives, ranging from seeking exemptions for credit unions from Dodd-Frank Act requirements, to advocating for Interest of Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTAs) for credit unions. In addition, Perlmutter participated in a Q&A for the November-December 2021 issue of The NAFCU Journal where he discussed being a leader on the marijuana banking issue and explained he believes credit unions "have gone above and beyond" to help their members throughout the coronavirus pandemic. View the full article.

NAFCU thanks Representatives Emmer and Perlmutter for their outstanding commitment to the credit union industry.

Register now for NAFCU’s 2022 Congressional Caucus to hear directly from Members of Congress and credit union champions on important industry issues. The event, happening September 11-14, will be held in-person in Washington D.C. See the full agenda and stay tuned to NAFCU Today for more on this can't-miss event.