WASHINGTON — The ranks of supporters of the Credit Union Regulatory Improvements Act grew Thursday when Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) became the measure's 149th co-sponsor.

Akin, a fourth-term member from suburban St. Louis and a senior member of the Small Business Committee has long been a backer of credit unions. During one debate on whether to remove the tax-exempt status he wrote then-Ways Means Committee Chairman William Thomas "Taxing credit unions would be a tax on consumers."

Credit unions have been trying to get CURIA (H.R. 1537), which includes risk-based capital reform and raises the member business lending cap from 12.25% to 20%, for several years. The House is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a less comprehensive regulatory reform measure for credit unions, the Credit Union Regulatory Relief Act, which contains some provisions of CURIA.