WASHINGTON — CUNA has sent a letter to every U.S. Senator asking them to join Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) in backing the Credit Union Regulatory Improvements Act (CURIA).

“By co-sponsoring CURIA, you will be helping credit unions continue their mission of serving working families, making needed services available to lower-income or underserved consumers, and helping promote economic growth and well being in our nation's communities,” CUNA CEO Dan Mica wrote in the March 6 letter.

“Specifically, CURIA will modernize credit union capital standards to permit more efficient capital management while allowing more earnings to be returned to members in lower costs and expanded services. It will expand the ability of credit unions to make loans to finance their members' local small businesses. It will permit more credit unions to offer needed services in lower-income communities that are not adequately served by other depository institutions. And it will improve the quality of services to credit union members by updating or removing burdensome regulations,” the letter added.