California and Nevada credit union leaders met with every congressional office from both states on Capitol Hill this week, marking the culmination of a powerful 2026 Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) in Washington, D.C.
They were joined by 6,000 industry leaders and advocates from across the nation to make sure the “people helping people” mission and perspective were heard in the halls of the U.S. House and Senate.
“We want to thank each and every advocate from California and Nevada who made the journey this year in support of their members’ voices back home,” said Stephanie Cuevas, senior vice president of federal advocacy for California and Nevada’s Credit Unions. “Our goal this year was to advocate for policy changes that can enhance credit unions’ member services. I’m so proud of our advocates for powerfully telling the story of the credit union difference — and I’ve already received positive feedback from congressional offices.”
Hiking the hill on Wednesday was the pinnacle of a long and successful week, which was packed with events to celebrate industry wins and strengthen credit unions’ advocacy efforts.
“We also want to congratulate advocates for raising $61,221 in California and $10,021 in Nevada for PAC,” Cuevas said.
Attendees kicked off the week with a reception hosted by the California and Nevada leagues, providing leaders the opportunity to connect, say hello to colleagues who traveled across the country to advocate for the credit union difference, and get ready for the week.
The event was opened by California and Nevada’s Credit Unions Interim President and CEO Lucy Ito, who welcomed the group. She was also joined by Utah’s Credit Union’s President and CEO Rusty Cannon and incoming California and Nevada’s Credit Unions President and CEO Jeremy Empol.
Last but not least, Scott Simpson, President and CEO of America’s Credit Unions and past President and CEO of California, Nevada, and Utah’s Credit Unions, joined the reception to visit friends from his time at the three leagues.
To prepare for congressional visits on Wednesday, California’s Credit Unions hosted a briefing on Monday. League leaders walked the crowd of nearly 300 people through talking points and also shared some highlights to energize everyone before their meetings.
“This year, we talked about some very special credit union member stories to highlight the difference we make in communities,” Cuevas said. “To close out the reception, we highlighted member stories from members of Congress to demonstrate that our legislators know about credit unions — but need a gentle reminder and nudge about our policy asks.”
She added: “Some of our legislators and their families have relied on credit unions in unique ways — to purchase a home, for support with financial literacy, to make ends meet during emergencies, and so much more. When we go to Capitol Hill, we’re often talking to friends, and we want our advocates to know that too.”
During the briefing, California attendees celebrated raising $1 million for the California State University in DC program. With the help and generosity of nearly 60 credit unions and partners across the state, California’s Credit Unions reached its goal — an investment in the next generation of public policy professionals. By reaching the $1 million mark, this endowment and the California league’s partnership with the CSU program will permanently generate up to 12 scholarships annually to offset the high cost of living for students interning in the nation’s capital.
This is not the first time credit unions have come together to create a scholarship fund. In 2007, credit unions from California and Nevada endowed a scholarship at George Washington University (GWU) to honor the legacy of Kelly Purcell. Purcell tragically passed away unexpectedly in 2006, and a scholarship was created in her name at her alma mater.
This year, the California league took a moment to recognize her commitment to advocacy and the recipient of the award in her name, Adefoluke Shemsu. He has demonstrated a sustained commitment to public service shared in his application, and that his goal is to become “an agent of change in politics and policy.”
Within the line-up on the mainstage at the Washington Convention Center, California and Nevada’s Credit Unions Vice President of Regulatory Advocacy Lisa Quaranta was honored to join a panel discussion on President Donald Trump’s deregulatory initiatives and the National Credit Union Administration’s (NCUA) Deregulation Project, which is committed to reducing regulatory burdens for credit unions.
The panel also featured NCUA Office of External Affairs and Communications Director Sierra Robinson and America’s Credit Unions Regulatory Advocacy Senior Counsel Luke Martone. The Deregulation Project encompasses a review of the agency’s regulations and proposals to refine or remove regulations that are obsolete, duplicative, or unduly burdensome. Quaranta applauded the NCUA for facilitating open-door discussions about potential areas for improvement when it comes to regulations.
She and California-Nevada league leaders — along with attendees — also took the opportunity to meet with the NCUA’s next rumored upcoming chair, while also meeting with current NCUA Chair Kyle Hauptman for a discussion focused on regulatory and supervisory issues shaping the credit union system. It was an opportunity to thank Hauptman for his engagement with credit unions throughout his tenure, particularly as he transitions to serving on the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) while continuing to lead the NCUA until a successor is nominated and confirmed.
Attendees also engaged in a dialogue with John Crews, deputy assistant secretary for financial institutions policy at the U.S. Treasury Department. The conversation veered into the Trump administration’s evolving “regulatory reset” — a shift toward restraint, simplification, and regulatory durability intended to foster economic mobility and community growth. Crews also validated the unique role credit unions play in the financial landscape, noting that while his skill is in financial policy, credit union leaders are the ones on the ground actually working in it. He expressed gratitude for their presence and emphasized that Treasury views credit unions as essential partners in economic growth and community development.
Nevadans enjoyed a state-specific briefing this year, complete with reception food and drinks. They walked through the credit union difference, celebrated big wins through the cooperative movement (like raising $130,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network), and walked through policy priorities. During the Nevada briefing, care was taken to develop an advocacy strategy for each legislative office during Wednesday’s hike-the-hill visits.
“Nevadan advocates certainly put a tremendous amount of sweat equity into their advocacy game, and it shows in the relationships we have with members of Congress and U.S. senators,” Cuevas said as she reflects on Nevada’s leadership. “Nevada has four legislators in their delegation on the House side and two U.S senators. While that number may seem small, it represents great power as some of these legislators sit on committees of jurisdiction that impact credit unions. Nevadans truly lead the country with their engagement of members of Congress and senators. Our Nevada advocates keep friendly pressure on our nation’s leaders so that they continue to keep credit unions in mind as major legislation is shaped.”
For Californians, California’s Credit Unions closed out the night with Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) during a special reception. During the joyous gathering, credit union leaders celebrated his leadership on credit union issues, including protecting the credit union tax status, advancing liquidity options for credit unions through the Central Liquidity Facility (CLF), and modernizing the federal charter.
Padilla expressed gratitude to credit unions for consistently fighting for their members and providing support in communities. He also shared some fun insights on the congressional baseball games and highlights of his career.
Attendees had an opportunity to speak with Padilla one-on-one and take a photo. Overall, the event achieved its goal — strengthening credit unions’ relationship with the senator.
During Wednesday’s hike-the-hill momentum, credit union leaders discussed the following with lawmakers:
Fighting Fraud and Protecting Consumers: A major pillar of the conversation was the urgent need for fraud prevention. With the Federal Trade Commission reporting $12.5 billion in consumer losses in 2024, a 25-percent increase over the previous year, credit union leaders brought the data. In California, 240,000 fraud reports totaled over $1.7 billion in losses recently. In Nevada, nearly 25,000 reports totaled over $142 million in losses.
Credit union leaders urged both House and Senate members of Congress to cosponsor H.R. 7548/S. 3774, the Safeguarding Consumers from Advertising Misconduct (SCAM) Act. Because credit unions are member-owned, every dollar lost to fraud is a dollar lost from the cooperative itself.
Payments and Interchange: The role of interchange income in supporting consumer protection efforts was also spotlighted. Credit union leaders expressed strong opposition to H.R. 7035/S. 3623, the Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA), arguing it would undermine the revenue used to fund fraud prevention and scam-stopper workshops for their members.
Members of Congress were also asked to support the Community Bank Relief Act (H.R. 7484/S. 3849). The bill would increase the threshold for the Durbin Debit Interchange fee cap from $10 billion to reflect inflation by tying the threshold to annual consumer price index (CPI) adjustments, with any first increase reflecting cumulative CPI increases from 2009-2025. Leaders used stories and data to display how the Durbin cap has impacted their credit union members over the long term.
Modernizing the Credit Union Charter: To guarantee credit unions can meet the needs of working families, advocates presented a suite of legislative requests aimed at charter modernization:
Veterans Member Business Loan Act (H.R. 507/S. 110): To exempt veteran business loans from the member business lending cap.
Expanding Access to Lending Options Act (H.R. 4167/S. 3616): To modernize loan maturity limits.
Wildfires, Housing, and Agriculture: The congressional visits by California and Nevada credit union leaders also touched on Western state issues, including the preservation of the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund.
In the House, California leaders pushed for the SUPPLY Act (H.R. 4568) to address the state’s housing crisis. In the Senate, the focus turned to disaster relief. Advocates shared data from the 2025 wildfire season — 100 percent of local credit unions participated in forbearance programs, and 89 percent granted fee waivers. Through a movement-wide mutual aid account, 28 grants were also awarded to credit union employees and volunteers who were personally impacted by the fires.
Nevada advocates focused on expanding the definition of Community Financial Institutions (CFI) under the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB). The goal is to include credit unions in the definition and increase the threshold from $1 billion to $10 billion.
Leaders from Nevada also highlighted how this change would be transformative for agricultural lending in rural districts. Currently, only Federal Deposit Insured Corporation (FDIC)-insured institutions qualify for the designation, excluding National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)-insured credit unions from pledging small business and agricultural loans as collateral.
By sharing member stories and local economic and social-impact data, California and Nevada credit union leaders reinforced their role as essential community pillars. The California credit union movement recently hosted over 250 financial literacy events reaching 29,000 students, and donated $3 million to the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) — facts that were not lost on congressional offices.
When the nation faced the longest government shutdown in history last year, nearly 100 California credit unions stepped up to offer low-cost financing and skip-a-pay options. Many legislators thanked credit unions for this effort, noting they directed struggling federal workers in their districts specifically to local credit unions for relief.
Nevada leaders also highlighted their own 2025 successes, including statewide financial literacy programs for seniors and students, and awarding $130,000 to the CMN hospitals. Credit unions don’t receive tax write-offs for these investments — it’s part of their mission and why the cooperative model exists.
