The 116th Congress began this week, with Democrats taking control of the House and Republicans maintaining their majority in the Senate.

Overshadowing the start of the new Congress is a partial government shutdown, as Democrats and President Trump haggle over whether to build a wall along the U.S. southern border.

All these developments create uncertainty in Washington, Hunt said.

For Hunt, finding a solution to the data security problem facing businesses and financial institutions is a top priority.

Financial institutions, including credit unions, have argued that merchants should be held to the same standards as they are when a data breach occurs. Merchants disagree, causing a stalemate that has made enactment of comprehensive legislation impossible until now.

Carrie Hunt

NAFCU will also remain vigilant in the face of possible threats to the credit union federal tax exemption, Hunt said.

She said that banking trade groups are certain to try to challenge the tax exemption, even though Congress enacted a comprehensive tax overhaul bill during the recently completed Congress.

She said that the House and Senate might consider some technical corrections to that measure and bankers might try to use that vehicle to make changes to the tax exemption.

"Anytime you open a piece of legislation, the opportunity is still there," she said.

She also said any legislation that makes changes to the credit union regulatory regime is likely to be less comprehensive than the measure passed in the 115th Congress.

Still, some small changes may be made, she added.

Nonetheless, NAFCU intends to push for changes that would ensure the NCUA becomes the sole regulator for credit unions. Those changes would make it clear that they are not subject to CFPB oversight.

And as is the case every year, NAFCU will try to ensure that members of Congress and regulators have a clear understanding of the role credit unions play in the financial services industry.

"We are always in education mode," Hunt said.