Contributions Find CURIA Sponsors

WASHINGTON – Campaign contributions from CUNA continued to find their way to key sponsors of CURIA–the CU Regulatory Improvements Act–as the credit union lobby works to convince Congress to move the five-year-old bill to a hearing or vote. To date, there has been no hearing scheduled on the bill, even as more than 125 House members have signed on as sponsors during this Congress, the third try for the bill. CUNA, which is trying to convince Rep. Carolyn Maloney, chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions, to hold a hearing on CURIA, contributed $8,500 to the New York Democrat in June. CUNA also made contributions to Ed Royce, the California Republican who helped draft the bill ($5,000), as well as Reps. Brad Sherman, D-Calif ($2,500); Brad Miller, D-N.C. ($1,000); Brian Bilbray, R-Calif. ($500); Carolyn Kilpatrick, D-Mich. ($4,000); John Larson, D-Ct. ($6,500); Chris Carney, D-Ct. ($4,100); Darrell Issa, R-Calif. ($1,000); Joe Baca, D-Calif. ($1,000); George Miller, D-Calif. ($1,000); Jesse Jackson, Jr., D-Ill. ($1,000); Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y. ($1,000); and Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla. ($1,000). Contributions also went to several so-called leadership PACs, including a new PAC known as the Tuesday Group PAC, named for a weekly session held by moderate Republicans ($5,000). Other leadership PACs getting CUNA funds were: Virginia Victory PAC, for Republicans ($1,000); and two Democrat PACs, Democrats Win Seats ($1,500) and Reuniting Our Country PAC ($5,000). Two newcomers to national politics also received CUNA contributions; Democrat Jenny Oropeza, a California state legislator running for the House ($5,000), and Jim Whitehead, a Georgia Republican running for the House ($5,000).