The $3 trillion pandemic relief bill unveiled by House Democrats on Tuesday will help the nation recover from the coronavirus crisis, but it fails to give credit unions important tools they need to help in the effort, trade group lobbyists said Wednesday.
A new NCUA policy on counting servicemembers in determining whether a credit union is” low-income” is an illegal expansion of the limits Congress has placed on the institutions, the Independent Community Bankers of America charged Thursday.
“The NCUA’s changes–made without a formal rule subject to public review and comment–is another example of this captive regulator expanding the powers of credit unions well beyond the limits established by Congress to justify their tax exemption,” ICBA President/CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said.
A coalition of supporters of the Community Development Financial Institutions program has asked Congress to set aside $1 billion for the program in the next coronavirus economic relief measure.
In a letter to congressional leaders, the groups, including CUNA, contend that federal financial relief funding is not reaching small businesses and families that are not served by mainstream lending institutions. CUNA noted that there are 324 CDFI-certified credit unions across the country.