Senator Marshall Presses for Credit Card Competition Act Vote

U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., aims to secure a vote on the Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA) by adding it to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization bill.

Marshall asked the Senate for unanimous consent for a vote to add the CCCA to the Reauthorization bill Wednesday (May 8), according to a press release issued by his office.

Speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday, Marshall said he introduced this proposal because Senate leadership has blocked the bill from receiving a vote for two years.

“Kansans want their voices to be heard, and not sidelined by D.C. lobbyists and special interest groups who are blocking and tackling our priorities behind the scenes,” Marshall said in remarks shared in a YouTube video.

The CCCA was reintroduced in the Senate and House in June 2023 after being initially introduced in 2022. If the bill were to become law, banks would be mandated to enable card payments to be routed over at least one network that competes with Mastercard and Visa.

Proponents say the legislation would give merchants a greater range of choice, including the option to embrace networks with fees, including interchange (or “swipe”) fees, cheaper than those seen with Mastercard and Visa.

Opponents say that merchants will not pass those savings along to consumers.

PYMNTS’ Karen Webster wrote in March that the CCCA will not lower merchant interchange fees and will create confusion for the consumer at the point of sale.

Speaking to the Senate on Wednesday, Marshall said that the CCCA is a priority for him and his constituents because small businesses “need some type of relief” from credit card swipe fees.

“Often credit card swipe fees are one of business’s highest costs, often topping utilities, rent or even employees’ health care costs,” Marshall said. “Mom-and-pop shops across Kansas, hotels across Kansas, franchise owners across Kansas, consumers, are all asking for relief to be able to sell their goods at a lower price and hire more employees, which I know this chamber all agrees with is a good thing.”

Marshall later added: “I will not stop fighting until we get this vote.”