WASHINGTON -- The 13-member Georgia congressional delegation haswritten House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank(D-Mass.) and Ranking Member Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) urging ahearing on the Credit Union Regulatory Improvements Act (H.R.1537).

"Over the years, each of us has met with representatives fromcredit unions and banks. These meetings usually end with no actionitems and no progress made between the credit unions and banks,"the letter read. "At a recent conference held by the Nationalassociation of Federal Credit Unions, Chairman Barney Frankpromised the credit union executives a hearing on CURIA before theCommittee on Financial Services. We believe this is the nextlogical step in helping resolve the debate on this legislation.

"It is important for Congress to proactively bring credit unionsand banks before the committee in order to begin the constructivedialogue with the hope of coming to a resolution. We are well awareof the passion on both sides of this issue runs high--which is whyit is vitally important that any hearing on CURIA provides a forumin which both the credit unions and banks are able to discuss theirissues in a balanced way."

Of the Georgia congressional delegation, Sanford Bishop (D),Hank Johnson (D), and John Lewis (D) are co-sponsors to thebill.

CUNA and the Georgia Credit Union Affiliates both said they areexpecting that bankers would very likely request to testify at ahearing on CURIA. "I think it was going to happen no matter whatthey said," GCUA Senior Vice President of Advocacy Cindy Connellysaid of the mention of bankers appearing at the hearing.

The letter came less than a month after the Georgia Credit UnionAffiliates' Hike the Hill last month. "What makes this kind ofunusual is its co-sponsors and folks not co-sponsoring, Democratsand Republicans," Connelly said.

She explained that the 25 credit union representatives foundthat some in their state's delegation are not ready to beco-sponsors but what Congressman Jack Kingston noted (R) during aHike the Hill visit was the credit unions' efforts. Connellyrecalled, "He said I'm not ready to be a co-sponsor but I think youall should get a hearing."

The possibility of a letter urging a hearing was raised atsubsequent Hill visits but it was still unclear after the meetingswhether it would actually come to fruition. "We're just trying tobe a catalyst to bring it to the next level," she said.

A similar letter was recently worked out between Texasco-sponsors and CUNA and the Texas Credit Union League.

In the meantime, Congressmen Dave Camp (R-Mich.) and RichardNeal (D-Mass.) signed on once again to CURIA earlier this month.Both had been CURIA co-sponsors in the 109th Congress as well.CURIA now has 135 co-sponsors in addition to Congressman PaulKanjorski (D-Pa.) backing the legislation.

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