ICBA and other groups urged Congress to reject the Marshall-Durbin interchange legislation—formally known as the Credit Card Competition Act—and a related “commissary interchange” study proposed as amendments to the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.
Details: In a letter to congressional leaders, ICBA and the other groups made it clear that these controversial measures would hurt consumers, weaken community lenders, and jeopardize financial security for military families.
Statement: “Shoehorning such a contentious banking mandate into a defense authorization bill is a dangerous legislative shortcut that could distract from genuine national security issues,” the groups said. “Our service members and their families deserve better than to become collateral damage in a corporate lobbying fight over interchange fees.”
What It Means for Community Banks: Research from the University of Miami says legislation that would allow large merchants to route credit card transactions on the network that is least costly to them would have a disproportionate impact on small financial institutions.
ICBA Advocacy: ICBA has strongly opposed the Marshall-Durbin efforts, which was on the list of top lobbying issues for community bankers attending the ICBA Capital Summit earlier this year. ICBA and other groups in March warned Congress that any legislative initiatives to expand the power of the federal government to intervene in the U.S. credit card market would harm consumers, small businesses, and financial institutions.