Pub. 11 2016-2017 Issue 6

www.nebankers.org 8 Extraordinary Service for Extraordinary Members. Washington Update Getting Into Washington’s Business Rob Nichols, President & CEO, American Bankers Association F E W WO U L D D I S P U T E T H A T Washington is very much in the business of banking. But who is in the business of Washington? According to the Congressional Research Service, the members of the 115th Congress include a record number of women (109), African Americans (52), Hispanic or Latino members (45), and Asian, Indian, or Pacific Island Americans (18). They also include a fairly typical mix of professions, with a heavy dose of members having previously served in public office, business, law, and education. A closer look at previous occupations reveals that our current class of lawmakers includes 36 from the real estate industry, 26 farmers or ranchers, 14 physicians, 11 ac- countants, nine social workers, eight ordained ministers, seven radio talk show hosts, six software company executives, three venture capitalists, two Peace Corps volunteers, and one physicist. So where do bankers rank? There are currently 18 members who came to Congress with a background in bank- ing. Relative to the other professions noted above, 18 bankers may seem like decent representation. But unlike the other professions, banking is an industry that plays a central role in economic growth and job creation. You have relationships with all these other professions, helping to meet their funding, cash management, and pay- roll needs. You also have relationships with more than 112 million American households. That suggests we need far more bankers to serve in Congress, representing not just our institutions, but also the families, customers, and communities we serve. And if that isn’t enough reason, consider that of the 60 men and