WASHINGTON — The Defense Credit Union Council is urging Senate leaders to block efforts to attach the Credit Card Competition Act or similar payment-routing requirements to legislation during the final weeks of the 119th Congress, warning the measures could limit military families’ access to affordable credit.
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DCUC Chief Advocacy Officer Jason Stverak opposed an amendment offered by Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., to the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, a permitting reform package being considered through H.R. 2347. The organization also called for keeping the language out of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, appropriations bills and other legislation.
“DCUC unequivocally opposes Senator Marshall’s amendment and any effort to carry this language in another bill,” Stverak said in a statement released by the council. “Military families’ access to affordable credit should never become a bargaining chip in a deal for the retail lobby.”
The Marshall-Durbin proposal would impose new routing requirements on certain credit card transactions. Supporters have argued that greater competition among payment networks could lower merchants’ processing costs. DCUC contends the changes could reduce interchange revenue that credit unions use to support card programs, fraud prevention and secure payments.
The council said potential consequences include higher fees, reduced card benefits and fewer affordable credit options. It also warned that smaller credit unions not directly covered by the legislation could face indirect effects from changes in network pricing and service costs.
“Think about a young servicemember building credit or a military spouse facing an emergency while a loved one is deployed,” Stverak said. “Those families need a credit union that can help them cover an unexpected expense on reasonable terms.”
Additional Ask
DCUC also argued that the legislation does not require retailers to pass any savings along to consumers and urged lawmakers to consider possible effects on borrowing costs and credit availability.
“Asking military families to risk dependable access to credit for savings they may never receive is an unacceptable trade,” Stverak said.
Stverak also cited Marshall’s defeat in the November election and Sen. Dick Durbin’s, D-Ill., planned retirement, saying the legislation’s effects would outlast both senators’ terms.
The council asked Senate leaders to exclude the provisions from floor amendments, managers’ packages, conference negotiations and final legislative agreements, and to remove the language from any package before it advances.
“The NDAA must strengthen military readiness, including the financial stability of the families behind the force,” Stverak said. “Keep Marshall-Durbin out of the permitting bill, out of the NDAA and out of every must-pass measure.”
