Saying while he is "not confident we can win this but thatdoesn't mean we shouldn't do our best," CUNA President/CEO Dan Micatoday encouraged credit union members to come to Washington for atwo-day lobbying effort next month to remove an amendment oninterchange fees from the regulatory overhaul bill.

On a conference call, Mica said that in meetings with lawmakersin their states and districts next week and in Washington duringthe fly-in on June 8 and June 9 participants "can't be mean andnasty" and noted that this "isn't like the tea party rallies, andwe can't stand up and scream."

A conference committee will begin meeting next month toreconcile the House- and Senate-passed bills.

Mica recommended that people tell lawmakers that the amendmentcould cost credit unions at least $15 to $35 per card, and theyshould also point out that the amendment was passed by the Senateduring the final stages of the debate.

The amendment authorizes the Federal Reserve to ensure thatdebit card fees are "reasonable and proportional," in relation toprocessing costs. It excludes credit unions and community bankswith assets of less than $10 billion. It also allows merchants toset a minimum or maximum amount for each transaction and let themoffer additional discounts for using a certain type of card orcash.

NAFCU has continued its grass roots efforts to defeat theamendment and is encouraging its members to lobby lawmakers both intheir districts and in Washington and will also have members comingto Washington following next week's congressional recess.

Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), who sponsored theinterchange amendment, today wrote a letter to the CEOs ofMasterCard and Visa urging them not to threaten small banks andcredit unions that passage of his amendment would result in higherfees.

"The only way that small banks or credit union could experienceinterchange rate reductions or be discriminated against is if yourcompanies decide to cut small bank interchange rates and rescindyour operating rules that currently prohibit discrimination betweencard-issuing banks," he wrote.

Durbin added if VISA and MasterCard coordinate punitive actionsthey would be engaging in restraint of trade.