— Josh Hogue, ICBA Federal Delegate, CEO, Reliabank Dakota
A phone call from our bank carries more weight in Washington than we might think. Congress listens to the people who show up, and ICBA has built the tools to make that easy for all of us.
At the center of it is ICBA’s “Take Action. Be Heard” hub, found at icba.org/advocacy/grassroots-be-heard. This is where ICBA turns national policy fights into something every one of us can act on, no matter how far we are from Capitol Hill.
The Action Center
The Action Center (icba.quorum.us) is the fastest way to get our voice on record. Enter your name and address, and it identifies your senators and representative. From there, you can send a customized letter or place a call on whatever issue ICBA is actively pushing, whether that’s regulatory relief, credit union tax exemption, or a bill moving through committee right now.
This matters because our lawmakers make decisions based on who they hear from. When our senators and representative field calls and letters from community bankers in their own state, that’s a clear signal the issue affects real constituents, not just industry lobbyists in D.C.
The Bill Tracker
The Bill Tracker (icba.org/bill-tracker) lets us follow the status of legislation that matters to our banks, so we know when a bill is gaining momentum, stalled in committee, or headed for a floor vote. Pairing the Bill Tracker with the Action Center means we’re not just reacting to a call to action, we’re watching the process and timing our outreach for when it counts most.
Other tools worth knowing about
A few more resources sit alongside these on the same hub:
- Lobbying 101 and the Virtual Advocacy Primer walk us through how to build a relationship with our lawmakers, whether in person or over video, and what to say when we get the meeting.
- ICBA PAC supports candidates who understand community banking. More than 3,000 community bank employees contribute annually, with an average individual contribution of $250.
- ICBA’s Capital Summit is the annual in-person event where we get hands-on lobbying training and meet directly with our delegation in Washington.
Why this matters for South Dakota
Community banks are the only physical banking presence in 1 in 5 counties nationwide, and that reality is especially true here at home. Our lawmakers need to hear from the bankers in their own backyard, not just national trade groups. The Action Center takes a few minutes to use. The Bill Tracker takes a few minutes to check. Use them the next time ICBA sends a Call to Action, and our senators and representative hear from us instead of about us.
Get started at icba.org/advocacy/grassroots-be-heard.