A Navy family gets orders to move across the country in six weeks. The truck deposit is due, the flights aren’t booked, and the car just made a noise nobody wants to hear. In moments like that, a credit card with a fair rate isn’t a luxury. It’s the thing holding the whole move together.
That’s the kind of scenario the Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) has in mind with its newest advocacy push. Starting October 6, 2026, the group is running two separate digital ad campaigns to thank U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM). The reason: their support for protecting servicemembers’, veterans’, and military families’ access to affordable credit through credit cards.
Where the Ads Will Run
The campaigns are paid for through DCUC’s Defending Credit Unions National Advocacy Fund. Each senator gets his own ad, and each ad carries the same message: thanks “for protecting access to credit cards for America’s veterans, active duty, and their families.”
- Senator Cotton: Arkansas and the Washington, D.C., area
- Senator Luján: New Mexico and the Washington, D.C., area
Worth noting: one Republican, one Democrat. DCUC says that’s deliberate, since the goal is to recognize leaders from both parties who get why this matters.
What DCUC Is Saying
Jason Stverak, DCUC’s Chief Advocacy Officer, framed it as a readiness issue. “Supporting our military includes protecting the financial readiness of the people who serve,” he said. Of Cotton, he added that a family preparing for deployment or a move to a new duty station benefits from “a credit card they can afford and count on.”
On Luján, Stverak pointed to the unglamorous realities of life: “An unexpected car repair, emergency travel, or a household bill does not wait for a convenient time.” Military families, he said, deserve safe, affordable options and leaders who will help protect them.
His summary line: “Financial readiness is military readiness.”
Why Credit Cards Are the Battleground
Defense credit unions stick with members through deployments, frequent relocations, overseas assignments, and the shift to civilian life. Credit cards are part of that package, giving members a dependable way to buy things and cover surprises wherever service sends them.
DCUC has long opposed credit card routing and interchange mandates, which it warns would weaken credit unions’ ability to offer affordable financial services. Interchange revenue, the fees merchants pay when cards are used, helps credit unions fund secure payment systems, fraud prevention, cybersecurity, and member benefits. Cut into that, DCUC argues, and the services built on it get harder to sustain.
The National Advocacy Fund exists to support public education and advocacy on policies affecting credit unions and their members. DCUC says it will keep working with lawmakers to protect financial choice and strengthen the financial well-being of servicemembers, veterans, and their families.
What You Can Do
If you’re a credit union member, especially one with a military connection, check how your card fits your household’s emergency plan. Then look up where your own senators stand on credit card routing and interchange legislation, and tell them what access to affordable credit means for your family. A short note to a Senate office is cheap, and it gets read.