News

Congressman McKinley visits League office, Co-Sponsors Legislation — 6/8/16

West Virginia First District Congressman David McKinley was in Parkersburg on June 6 and made a visit to the League office to discuss current legislative issues affecting credit unions.

“Since this group was unable to meet with him at the CUNA GAC in February because of scheduling conflicts, the Congressman suggested we meet at the League, which is often times seems less rushed than a Washington visit,” said League President Ken Watts. “We had a very productive visit which lasted over an hour and presented the opportunity for everyone to share ideas and concerns.”

McKinley listened intently as credit union representatives shared their concerns on data security breaches at major retailers which have affected their credit and debit card programs.

Presently, if a card is suspected of being compromised, it is up to the financial institution to issue a new card and absorb the associated costs. The Congressman was in agreement that H.R. 2205—The Data Security Act of 2015 which was introduced last year in Congress, would be a positivestep in making sure retailers secured their data and accepted moreresponsibility in securing sensitive member data.

“The Congressman made a direct phone call to his legislative director during the meeting and requested that his name be put on the bill as a co-sponsor,” Watts explained. “We are very appreciative of the Congressman for listening to our concerns and co-sponsoring this legislation.”

Other issues discussed included easing regulatory burden, reinforcing the need for the credit union tax status, and the forthcoming NCUA Field of Membership proposal.

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From left: Rich Schaffer, WVCUL; Keith Rake, One Community FCU; Ken Watts, WVCUL; Congressman McKinley; Joe Thorpe, One Community FCU; Doug Reeder, WV Central CU; Mike Tucker, WV Central CU  Back row: Doug Hershman, Mountain Heritage FCU