Trade PACs Prep for November

For CUNA’s political action committee, Rep. John Hall (D-N.Y.) is stillthe one.Hall, who before entering Congress was famous for writing such bubble gum pop music hits as “Dance With Me,” “Dancin’ In the Moonlight,” and “Still the One,” received $2,500 from the Credit Union Legislative Action Council in November.He isn’t on a committee with jurisdiction over credit union issues but has been supportive of the cause. He also received contributions from CULAC in the 2006 and 2008 election cycles ($7,500 and $1,000, respectively).Hall is one of 52 lawmakers, candidates and committees that CULAC gave money to in November. It contributed $100,000 to federal candidates and committees in November, and $1.06 million in 2009, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.Among the other recipients were: House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), whose campaign received $2,500; Fred Upton (R-Mich.), the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee (which controls the fate of credit unions’ tax-exempt status) received $1,500, and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), the No. 3 member of the Democratic leadership and a key member of the Banking Committee, who is a key backer of lifting the cap on member business loans, received $1,000.According to the Center for Responsive Politics, it is the 19th largest PAC in terms of contributions to federal candidates this year. There are approximately 3,800 federal political action committees.As of Nov. 30, CULAC had $868,302 in its coffers. It raised $80,148 in November and $1.2 million in the first 11 months of 2009.NAFCU’s PAC, the National Association of Federal Credit Unions Political Action Committee also gave Clyburn $1,000 last month. Among the other recipients of its contributions were Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), chairman of the Banking Committee subcommittee that oversees credit unions, who received $1,000 and EDPAC, the leadership political action committee formed by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Col.), a supporter of credit unions on the Banking Committee. NAFCU’s PAC contributed $1,912 for a fundraising reception held by EDPAC.In November, NAFCU’s PAC contributed $8,412 to federal candidates and committees, and it contributed $105,433 during the first 11 months of 2009. It raised $7,252 in November and $163,430 during the first 11 months of the year.As of Nov. 30, NAFCU’s PAC had $207,909 in its coffers.This year will be a busy one politically. All 435 House seats are up for grabs in November as are 36 of the 100 Senate seats. In addition, there will be a special election in January for the seat formerly held by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).–[email protected]