August: it’s the end of summer, kids are heading back to school, federal politicians are in recess and that means we can all take the month off from advocacy, right?
If only.
While things move at a different pace during recess times, things are still, in fact, moving. August is the time to lay some groundwork for the fights up ahead. After an intense battle on reconciliation, we emerged with our tax status in hand and some clear work to do. There will be a second reconciliation bill coming, and we’ll have to be ready for it. There’s going to be a financial services title opened in the annual NDAA package, which could have three years of work fighting against the Durbin/Marshall Credit Card Competition Act culminate in a vote on the Senate floor.
All this to say: the work is never truly done.
We’re continuing to talk to Hill offices, gather intel and work with our colleagues around the country to prepare for the fights ahead.
There are two ways that you can join in this prep work:
Hike the Hill
Join us for Hike the Hill, Sept. 9-11. Aptly timed, we have an opportunity to join advocates from across the country to speak with one voice just as the lawmakers return to Washington.
Host a Lawmaker
Let us know if you’d like to host a lawmaker, state or federal. You can also let us know if you’d like to attend, but don’t necessarily feel comfortable hosting — that’s okay, too! While we’re focusing on federal lawmakers right now, it’s never a bad time to build a better relationship with someone serving at the state level. You never know when a state lawmaker might serve in Congress. In fact, there are a half dozen of them running right now for new seats!
We hope you can join us in D.C. next month and we’ll be ready when you do. In August, we lay the foundation, so we can hit the ground running in September.
Photo Caption: Rep. Chuck Fleischmann visits with credit union leaders from the greater Chattanooga area in August 2019.
