Florida Banking September 2022

CHAIR’S MESSAGE

WASHINGTON, D.C., FLY-IN: A DAY IN THE LIFE

BY BILL PENNEY, FBA CHAIR

T he FBA was in Washington, D.C., recently, and we will be returning again soon. Arguably one of the most important roles of the FBA Chair is to attend quarterly D.C. “fly-ins” and lead discussions about banking issues with key representatives. During these meetings, I am not only speaking as Bill Penney, CEO of Marine Bank & Trust, but as the voice for all our members, equally representing banks of all sizes. If you’ve ever wondered what one of these trips looks like, let me describe it for you: On our trip in July, we flew into D.C. for less than 48 hours and made the very most of our time there, scheduling 10 back-to-back meetings with members of the House and the Senate. We met with Rep. Waltz, Rep. Posey, Rep. Luetkemeyer’s staff, Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s staff, Rep. Cammack, Rep. Dunn, Rep. Mast, Rep. Bilirakis, Rep. Donalds, and Sen. Rubio. We sat down with the representatives or their staff for 30 minutes to an hour and described three to four key issues that are impacting our industry. For example, we discussed ESG and the burdensome compliance costs of having banks act as the “climate police” to enforce federal environmental policies. We spoke about the ILCs charter loophole as well as the tax loophole benefitting credit unions. And, when we met with Sen. Rubio, we urged him to support the

SAFE Banking Act, which would allow us to lawfully bank the cannabis industry. Why do we go to D.C. not once, not twice, but four times each year? At the FBA, we champion in-person advocacy. Though we could conduct these meetings from the comfort of our homes or offices, it wouldn’t be the same. We believe that meeting face-to-face is key to building relationships with policymakers and staying top of mind.

Each time we visit, we invite a new small group of bankers to join us. It is valuable for our representatives to hear about banking issues from the bankers who are in the trenches each and every day. While our FBA CEO Alex Sanchez is a passionate spokesperson for our industry, he understands the value of personal testimony, and he extends these invitations to give you — our members — an opportunity to participate in the important advocacy work.

“IT IS VALUABLE FOR OUR REPRESENTATIVES TO HEAR ABOUT BANKING ISSUES FROM THE BANKERS WHO ARE IN THE TRENCHES EACH AND EVERY DAY.”

If you receive an invitation to join us for a D.C. fly-in, say “yes” and come along to see what it’s all about. I can promise that you will walk away with a renewed appreciation for your peers, for our association, and for its leadership. We need everyone in our membership to support the FBA and our efforts to keep our industry strong. I hope to see you in D.C.!

4 — FLORIDA BANKING THE VOICE OF FLORIDA BANKING