Member Business Lending

Tell Your Senators "We Need Your Vote on S. 2231 The Credit Union Small Business Jobs Bill"


Bill Cheney on why NOW is the time to take action on MBLs

America’s small businesses are the engine of growth of our nation’s economy.  The effects of the financial crisis of the past few years have spread to all types of lending, resulting in a reduction in the availability of business credit. 

At a time when banks are withdrawing credit from America’s small businesses, credit unions have actually been expanding credit to small businesses, but with more credit unions approaching the cap, this growth is threatened.  It makes economic sense to restore credit unions’ full ability to lend to their business-owning members. 

Listen to the MBL Audio Conference recorded on Monday, April 2, 2012

Congress should enact legislation which increases the credit union member business lending cap from 12.25% of assets to 27.5% for well-capitalized credit unions and adds significant safeguards to ensure that qualifying credit unions do this additional lending safely and soundly.  This approach has been endorsed by the Obama administration. 

Grassroots Action Needed:

Please contact your Senators and Representatives TODAY and ask them to cosponsor S. 2231, The Credit Union Small Business Jobs Bill and H.R. 1418, Small Business Lending Enhancement Act. Prewritten letters are available for your use at the Credit Union Grassroots Action Center, where you can quickly personalize and send messages to the appropriate Senators based on the address you enter and your Senators’ cosponsorship status.

Also, please send a message to the White House TODAY to encourage the President to support the Small Business Lending Enhancement Act of 2011.

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Congressional Visit Briefing Materials

  1. Responding to ABA/ICBA Claims on Effect of S.2231/HR 1418
  2. Member Business Lending Talking Points
  3. Legislative Language – S. 2231 / H.R. 1418
  4. HR 1418 Co-Sponsor List
  5. 'Dear Colleague' (March 2, 2011)
  6. State-by-State Numbers
  7. Small Business Open Letter to Congress
  8. Letter of Support for Increasing the Credit Union MBL from Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner
  9. MBL Objection Response Summary
  10. MBL Objection Response - Full Analysis
  11. Straight to the Point: Member Business Lending
  12. Member Business Lending and Employment by State
  13. Department of Treasury Study on Credit Union Business Lending (January 2001)

CUNA Letters to Congress

  1. Letter from Bill Cheney to Senators Mark Udall, Olympia Snowe and Charles Schumer in support of legislation to increase the credit union member business lending cap. (March 8, 2011)
  2. Letter from NCUA Chairman Matz to Treasury Counselor Gene Sperling Supporting MBL Legislation
  3. Letter from NCUA Chairman Matz to Treasury Secretary Geithner Describing Actions the Agency Would Take if the Member Business Lending Cap Were Increased or Eliminated
  4. Letter from Bill Cheney to House Financial Services Committee Chairman Spencer Bachus and Ranking Member Barney Frank Regarding the Credit Union Member Business Lending Cap. (January 26, 2011)
  5. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Chairman of the Small Business Committee (March 21, 2011)

MBL Materials for Credit Unions and Members

  1. Setting the Record Straight Again
  2. Brochure: Support S. 2231, The Credit Union Small Business Jobs Bill
  3. Fact Checking ABA Propaganda
  4. MBL Regulatory Restrictions Handout
  5. Open for Business Handout
  6. American Banker Poll Shows Even Bankers Support Credit Union Member Business Lending
  7. Five Things Small Business Owners Need to Know About Capitol Hill
  8. Enhancing Small Business Lending – Generations Federal Credit Union
  9. Small businesses need lending opportunities
  10. Lending on the Level-Playing-Field
  11. Credit unions deserve upgraded lending limit
  12. SB 2231: Should Congress expand credit union lending power?
  13. Credits unions want to offer more small-business loans
  14. U.S. Senate has chance to help small businesses grow
  15. Let credit unions do their job
  16. The Secret Is Out: Bankers Don’t Really Care About MBL Reform
  17. Senators: Ignore bankers’ bluster and let credit unions help small business
  18. Congress Should Pass Bill to Let Credit Unions Lend More So Small Businesses Grow, Create Jobs
  19. Credit unions can help economy back to its feet
  20. Banks, credit unions at odds over bill that would raise lending cap
  21. Winston Salem Journal Letter to the Editor
  22. Sample MBL Constituent Letter to White House
  23. Sample MBL Constituent Letter to House Cosponsors
  24. Sample MBL Constituent Letter to House Non-Cosponsors
  25. Sample MBL Constituent Letter to Senate Cosponsors
  26. Sample MBL Constituent Letter to Senate Non-Cosponsors
  27. Sample Newsletter Article on HR 1418 Hearing

Coalition Support

  1. Radio Interview with Steve Pociask of ACI on MBLs


  2. Lending Cap Is Unfair to Small Business
  3. American Consumer Institute Blog Post April 27, 2012
  4. Video from Small Business Hike the Hill, Feb. 2012
  5. Maybe the Banks Should Support the Credit Union Act
  6. American Consumer Institute on How to Create New Jobs
  7. Fox Video Interview with Ami Kassar of MultiFunding Why Banks Are Not Lending to Small Businesses
  8. Progressive Policy Institute on Easing the Credit Gap
  9. CEI’s Ten Point Plan to Create Jobs

MBL Ads

  1. The Small Business Owner Ad
  2. Support Credit Union Small Business Jobs bill - Ken Dull
  3. Alabama Small Business Video - Scotts Flooring Grand Opening
  4. Listerhill Small Business Video
  5. Raise the Business Lending Cap Iowa Small Business Video
  6. Virginia Support S.2231 Video
  7. Small business owners want lending restrictions eased – Texas News Coverage
  8. Washington credit unions ask Congress to allow bigger loans to small businesses
  9. Alabama MBL Radio Spot


  10. MBL Ads
  11. State Radio Ads (member-only)

Image Files for MBL Ads

  1. Download files for MBL Ads (member-only)
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