BURNSVILLE, Minn. -Congressman Bill Luther, of Minnesota's Sixth District, visited recently with nearly 50 credit union supporters at US Federal Credit Union. Luther spoke on myriad of issues, stressing the importance of credit unions in the financial realm. "I am a strong supporter of credit unions because they provide necessary competition between financial institutions," Luther said. "With no competition in an industry, you run into monopolies and other problems." Luther, who is currently serving his fourth term in the Sixth District, is in new territory for the 2002 election, running for the congressional seat in the Second District due to recent redistricting. First elected to the Minnesota Legislature in 1974, he entered the House of Representatives in 1994 and serves on the Energy & Commerce Committee. "Bill's position on the Energy & Commerce Committee puts him in a position to educate and influence other members of Congress about credit unions," said Kevin Chandler, Minnesota Credit Union Network President & CEO. "In me, credit unions have not only a friend, but somebody who is willing to stand up to interest groups when they come in and try to dominate a particular industry," Luther said. "I have shown a willingness over my political career to look out for the individual. You can always count on me to stand up for competition, which is what credit unions provide in the financial setting."