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Entrepreneur and hip-hop pioneer Russell Simmons was met with a slew of pro-merchant responses to his HuffingtonPost.com entry Friday seeking removal of debit interchange provisions froma draft regulatory reform package, and NAFCU is encouraging credit unions to come to his aid.

"Debit cards are what keep the underserved - including minorities, immigrants, the poor, soldiers, veterans and students - from the claws of payday lenders and check cashers, from humiliating lines waiting to cash their paychecks and then more lines to pay their bills," Simmons wrote in an entry that was addressed "To the Members of the Financial Reform Conference Committee."

It was the second time this month that Simmons spoke out via the Huffington site opposing the debit interchange measures, which are part of the base text for a House-Senate conference underway to completea final reform bill for the financial industry.

Many of Friday's respondents to Simmons argued in favor of the interchange measures, which, if enacted, are expected to lead to federal price caps on debit interchange fees. Congress hasn't reviewed the provisions, and the measures impose no requirements on merchants to reduce consumer costs for goods. Meanwhile, many credit unions would either have to end their card programs or increase fees to members to keep their card programs.

NAFCU President Fred Becker e-mailed members Saturday urging them to visitSimmons' poston HuffingtonPost.com to ensure readers get the facts on this issue. "While you're contacting lawmakers about the harmful effects of this interchange language, take time out to visit the Huffington site and debunk some of the inaccuracies merchants and their agents are spreading," said Becker.

Becker also reminded that 131 House members are already in favor of deleting the debit interchange language from the overall reform package (see letter).

Theprovisions are slated for discussion by the House-Senate conference panel during tomorrow's public meeting; the panel is being covered by C-SPAN.

NAFCU is urging credit unions to keep writing, calling and faxing lawmakers to ensure they know that the measures would make debit card programs more costly to run and could forcemany credit unions to cease their programs.

To contact lawmakers, dial the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3131. To e-mail,click here. To see Simmons' post and post a comment (you'll need to log on),follow this link.