WASHINGTON— The Independent Community Bankers of America this week opened its 2026 ICBA Capital Summit in Washington by releasing new polling the group claims shows Americans broadly align with community bankers on several policy issues--including the CU tax break--that will be part of this week’s meetings with lawmakers.
ICBA said the survey, conducted by Morning Consult, found support for positions the group plans to raise as community bankers meet in person with members of Congress during the annual advocacy event.
ICBA polling this month found:
Americans Support Reforming Credit Union Policies
- 58% say credit unions that operate like banks should have to pay taxes like banks.
- 58% say Congress should investigate whether credit union tax and regulatory exemptions are still warranted.
- 56% say credit unions should be required to follow stricter regulations to justify their tax exemption.
- 56% say that if credit unions continue to be tax-exempt, community banks should receive an equivalent tax exemption.
- 56% say Congress should investigate whether credit unions should be able to acquire tax-paying community banks.
- 60% of Republicans and 59% of Democrats say Congress should end the federal tax exemption for credit unions with more than $1 billion in assets.
Americans Support Policies to Promote Community Bank Formation and Lending
- 58% say the formation of new community banks is important to the health of the nation's banking system, though few new community banks have been chartered in recent years due to excessive regulatory burdens.
- 58% say policymakers should reduce regulatory burdens on community banks to help increase access to home loans, in line with Title VI of the House-passed 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (H.R. 6644) and with the Main Street Capital Access Act (H.R. 6955).
Americans Oppose Overhauling the Credit Card System
- 63% of adults say consumers would bear the cost of changing the technology that is used to conduct credit transactions at the register—as laid out by the Credit Card Competition Act (S. 3623/ H.R. 7035)—and 61% say it would be risky.
- 63% say merchants would keep the savings from the credit card routing proposal for themselves, rather than passing it on to consumers.
Americans Support Preserving the Separation of Banking and Commerce
- 61% say allowing commercial companies to own banks without being subject to all banking regulations—as permitted by the industrial loan company loophole—increases risks to the financial system.
- 59% say letting commercial businesses own banks that don’t have to follow all banking rules could create conflicts of interest that put consumer financial data at risk, which the Close the Shadow Banking Loophole Act (S. 3734) would mitigate by closing the loophole for new ILCs.
Americans Support Policies to Bolster Rural Lending
- 71% of Democrats and 69% of Republicans say current economic conditions make it more important for Congress to pass a new farm bill this year.
- 70% say Congress should increase loan limits to family farmers and ranchers in the next farm bill.
- 63% say the USDA should be required to decide on farm loan applications within five business days, in line with the loan program proposed by the USDA Express Loan Act (H.R. 7426).