Advocacy must remain consistent through change

It’s said that the only constant in Washington, D.C./politics is change, and this summer proves that more than most. The current election season might be the most unpredictable we’ve seen in recent memory, and the changes in the presidential race are already affecting priorities in the current Congress and the outlook for the upcoming election.

The best thing credit unions can do in response is to remain consistent and strong in our advocacy efforts. After all, the credit union difference persists no matter who serves in office, in good economies and bad.

America’s Credit Unions’ political and legislative teams—along with our League and credit union partners—are diligently working to ensure attention remains on credit union issues amid change.

Just last week, the House Financial Services Committee conducted a hearing on the use of artificial intelligence, with Elizabeth Osborne of Great Lakes Credit Union as the only financial institution representative testifying. She also served as America’s Credit Unions’ representative on the committee’s AI task force, ensuring credit unions’ voice was represented at every stage—from the earliest discussions about how the committee might approach AI to the final report and testimony.

While it might not have been the biggest headlines in D.C. last week, the impact of AI in financial services is here to stay. And the credit union perspective was front and center before a vital House committee as policy is being created. That’s the kind of advocacy credit unions depend on.

Regardless of who controls the White House, or each chamber of Congress, credit unions need the 119th Congress to be a credit union-friendly one. We’ve witnessed a growing focus on financial inclusion as a bipartisan priority, and policymakers on both sides are willing to work with us to make it happen.

The credit union mission remains constant, even as we adapt and change to provide financial options that make life-changing differences for so many people, in good times and bad.

That’s why credit union advocacy must be consistent and a top priority. No matter what comes our way, credit unions will continue to fight for policies that increase access to credit unions and push back against policies that hamper it. Credit union advocacy works to lay strong foundations, grounded in the legislative process and proper rulemaking, so credit unions have stability no matter who occupies what chamber, or who is running which agency.

That relentless advocacy is America’s Credit Unions’ job number one—and has been from our transformation six months ago. And that advocacy is always with credit union members in mind.

I was fortunate enough to speak to more than 2,500 credit union leaders from 57 countries at last month’s World Credit Union Conference, and it proved that point once again. World Council President/CEO Elissa Carter LaBorde challenged the leaders to grow the credit union movement from its current 400 million members to one billion members—so more people can benefit from the credit union difference.

Credit unions have served their mission throughout the years by buckling down and focusing on what matters: the member. As credit union advocates, we’re also locked in on the same goal we’ve always had: to advance, protect, and empower credit unions. That focus will serve us well as we forge ahead this election season and beyond.