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From Sunday, March 8 - Thursday, March 12, more than 70 individuals and guests from your League and Maine's credit unions will be in Washington, D.C., attending the 2015 Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Annual Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC).
With tax reform, member business lending, data security and regulatory burden topping the list of credit union issues, the Maine contingent will join nearly 5,000 credit union officials from across the country at this year's Conference at the Washington Convention Center. Members of Congress, including leaders from the Senate and House, along with other elected and appointed officials and regulators, will be addressing the Conference. Keynote speeches from Ret. General Stanley McChrystal, Ari Fleischer, who headlined your League's Legislative Forum in 2010, and Arianna Huffington, Founder of the Huffington Post, are also expected to be among the highlights.
While attendance at the Conference itself sends a strong message about the grassroots strength and involvement of credit unions to political leaders, the top event on the agenda for the Maine group is the Maine Credit Union League's Annual Breakfast with Maine's Congressional Delegation. This year's Breakfast takes place on Tuesday, March 10, on Capitol Hill. While Senator Collins and Senator King will be attending the Breakfast and addressing the Maine group, Congresswoman Pingree and newly-elected Congressman Poliquin will not be in Washington because, for the first time in recent memory, the U.S. House will not be in session during the GAC. Members of both of their staffs will be attending in their place and may make brief remarks on their behalf, and your League will be meeting with Congressman Poliquin's staff following the Breakfast in his office.
"The success of the Breakfast and the Conference is the ability to have a strong presence of credit union officials from Maine and across the country come to Washington, D.C., on behalf of their credit unions. With more than 70 attending this year's GAC and Breakfast from Maine, our Congressional Delegation recognizes the strength and important role of credit unions in the State and appreciates our willingness to come to D.C.," stated your League's President John Murphy, adding, "Being involved and visible is a crucial element of political involvement, and our ability to bring a big group year after year is certainly not lost on our Congressional Delegation."
Photos, important statements, a recap, and other observations from Maine's participation in the 2015 CUNA GAC will be posted in next week's Weekly Update, and in the April issue of News & Views.