Senate Majority Leader Frist, Rep. Otter Join GAC Line Up

WASHINGTON-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Congressman C.L. "Butch" Otter (R-Idaho), a long-time credit union supporter, have agreed to speak at CUNA's Governmental Affairs Conference at the end of February. CUNA Senior Vice President of Communications Mark Wolff said he believes this is the first time Frist has addressed the GAC. Otter, a co-sponsor to the Credit Union Regulatory Improvements Act (H.R. 2317) will address the crowd on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Otter also previously appeared in an advertisement produced by CUNA and NAFCU emphasizing the credit union difference. The lawmakers join fellow CURIA supporters Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and Paul Kanjorksi (D-Pa.) at GAC, in addition to House Financial Services Committee Chairman Mike Oxley (R-Ohio), who will retire at the end of the year, and Congressman Mike Michaud (D-Maine), a former credit union director. From the executive branch of the federal government Treasury Secretary John Snow, Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions Emil Henry, and all three NCUA Board members have accepted invitations to speak. Featured speakers will also include syndicated columnist George Will and retired ABC Anchorman Ted Koppel. CUNA is expecting more than 4,000 guests and vendors to attend the GAC but a more solid estimate was not available until `early bird' registration closed last Friday, after press time. However, a spokesman did say that registrations were running about 150 ahead of where they were at the same time last year.