DCUC announces CCCA exclusion from defense authorization bill

The Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) has announced that the U.S. House of Representatives has released the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Notably, the legislation does not include the Durbin-Marshall Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA), which DCUC describes as a "key win."

According to a news release by DCUC, throughout 2024, the organization worked to ensure that the NDAA remained free of provisions that could impact the credit union industry, such as CCCA or related proposals. The council engaged in advocacy efforts, including sending multiple letters to Congress opposing changes to the Federal Credit Union Act (FCUA) that could affect credit unions' tax-exempt status and regulatory changes.

"Our nation’s defense credit unions understand that now more than ever, we need to put our nation’s servicemembers first and reject the hollow call for new laws that would make basic financial services even more expensive for working-class Americans," wrote Jason Stverak, DCUC chief advocacy officer.

On May 16, 2024, Stverak sent a letter to all Members of Congress outlining concerns about the CCCA. The letter was sent ahead of the National Grocers Association Congressional office visits and highlighted that the CCCA would require banks and credit unions to route credit card transactions to the cheapest network, which could lower costs for retailers.

The bill, S. 1838, or the "Credit Card Competition Act" (CCCA), originally sponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Durbin and Roger Marshall, would require banks to offer merchants at least two network options for processing credit card transactions. One of these options cannot be Visa or Mastercard. Some argue this could lead retailers to select lower-cost networks, potentially affecting security and fraud risk.

DCUC is an organization representing credit unions serving military personnel and veterans. Governed by a seven-member Board with representatives from each U.S. military branch, DCUC works with the Department of Defense on regulatory, legislative, and operational matters.