Scott Simpson is walking into his first Governmental Affairs Conference as President/CEO of America's Credit Unions, but he's no newcomer to the event. This year marks his 22nd GAC, and he described the ramp-up as being "strapped to the front of a locomotive."
During a live-streamed interview for the "Inside the PRO Studio" series with CU Times on Thursday, Simpson said the tone he wants to set is built on a couple of pillars, especially "unity," arguing that credit unions get limited chances to break through in a crowded policy environment. "We are not afforded an opening" very often to express credit union issues directly to lawmakers. He added that when the moment comes, the movement must be "distilled and focused."
Beyond taxes, Simpson said the industry remains in "the middle" of fights over interchange and interest rate caps. President Trump's proposed 10% interchange fee cap is "still in our windshield," Simpson said, calling it the first time in his career a president has involved himself "substantially … in the income statement of credit unions."
At GAC, Simpson said he plans to push operational priorities such as board modernization and loan maturities, while elevating a broader legislative philosophy: Indexing regulatory thresholds so they keep pace with the economy. He also urged Congress to treat fraud and scams as a frontline consumer-protection issue.
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