Page 16 - 1Q 2017 Reporter

The League Helps Drive Record Turnout

Sensing an opportunity for meaningful change in banking regulation in
Washington D.C., 35 Illinois bankers and trade association executives descended on
Washington D.C. for the ABA’s Annual Government Relations Summit. According to Rob

Nichols, President and CEO of the ABA, last month’s Summit was the largest ever. The
League took the lead in organizing and coordinating the Illinois Delegation, with great
support from the Illinois Bankers Association.

The week started with the ABA’s Mutual Banking Conference, which was well
attended and focused on issues specific to Mutual Savings Banks. We also received some
keen insights into the inner workings of Washington D.C. from keynote speaker and Fox

News contributor Chris Wallace. The first full day concluded with a dinner hosted by The
League for members attending the Summit at Hamilton’s Restaurant.

The morning of day two started with key policy position meetings with James

Ballentine, Executive Vice President of Congressional Relations and Political Affairs and
Rob Nichols, President and CEO of the American Bankers Association. It was then time
to “hit the Hill” to meet with our elected officials.

Armed with information from the Government Relations Survey solicited from members
of The League and detailed bill positions from the Illinois Bankers Association, we

prepared a comprehensive set of “leave behind” documents, to ensure that our
positions remained with our elected officials long after we returned home. As one of the
IBA members noted, “This was one of the most organized and professionally presented
Spring GR Summits that I have attended.” We met with a significant group of Illinois

Congressmen/Congresswomen or their staff including Senators Durbin and Duckworth
and Representatives Bustos, Bost, Schneider, Foster, Davis, LaHood, Hultgren, Davis,
Gutierrez, 4Kinsinger, Shimkus and Roskam.

Our message was clear: reduce the over burdensome regulations that are holding our
members back. Specifically, we endorsed applying Qualified Mortgage status to

mortgages originated and held by members in portfolio; ensuring that mutual and stock
savings institutions continue serving their communities by allowing them to engage in
loan and investment activities permissible for national banks without changing their
charters; broad support for the TAILOR Act; and the reigning in of the Consumer

Financial Protection Bureau. And while we were battling significant headwinds with the
focus on the Affordable care Act and Senate confirmation hearings on Supreme Court
Nominee Neil Gorsuch, I believe that our message cut through the noise.