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October 1, 2007
Volume 5, No. 15
NAIFA Day on Capitol HillLargest Insurance Lobbying Event Ever: NAIFA's 2007 Convention in Washington, D.C., provided the perfect opportunity for local, state and national association leaders to make their presence felt in world's most powerful legislative body—the U.S. Congress. By all measures, the association leaders seized that opportunity with vigor and aplomb.
The Objective: Of course, the Day on the Hill has the very serious purpose of educating members of Congress and their staffs and reinforcing NAIFA's positions on critical issues in legislators' minds. These issues impact NAIFA members and the public that they serve in every state and congressional district. The Day on the Hill is designed to impress on members of Congress that real people who pay real taxes and serve real clients in local communities are engaged in the congressional deliberations that impact them and potentially all Americans. Issues Lobbied: The NAIFA "citizen soldiers" focused on four front-burner issues:
By all accounts, Day on the Hill lobbying efforts succeeded spectacularly, reinforcing the notion held by many that insurance agents and financial advisors make the best natural lobbyists in the land.
Issue Preparation: In addition to the insight and advice offered by Reps. Neal and Putnam, NAIFA leaders received a full briefing from NAIFA's Law and Government Relations Department on the issues to be lobbied. The issues were also spelled out in legislative issue papers registrants received prior to arriving in Washington. View the documents on the NAIFA website. Finally, well-known Washington political consultant and "Advocacy Guru" Stephanie Vance provided a lively and entertaining practical course on how to conduct effective Hill meetings. Listen now to the Day on the Hill podcastBack to October 1, 2007, NAIFA Frontline |
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| NAIFA's Law and Government Relations Department |
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The sheer number of NAIFA's constituent lobbyists blanketing Capitol Hill on September 11 made this Day on the Hill the largest-ever effort by insurance agents and financial advisors to lobby members of Congress. More than 1,200 NAIFA leaders participated. They conducted more than 400 meetings with their legislators and key congressional staff. This eclipsed the previous record set during NAIFA's 2005 Convention when 1,000 association leaders embarked from Baltimore in a bus caravan that impressed even longtime Congress watchers. 
Key Congressional Leaders Address Convention: Prior to leaving for Capitol Hill, NAIFA Convention attendees heard keynote addresses by two leading members of Congress. Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA), chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures, explained the inner workings of the tax writing process in Congress and the difficulty Congress faces in the competition to raise revenue for critical programs without destroying other critical programs like life insurance and annuities. Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL), chairman of the House Republican Conference and member of the House Committee on Financial Services, discussed the role that the minority party plays in Congress and further explained the importance of including all party and philosophical points of view in Capitol Hill decision making. 
In addition, as one of the youngest members of the House of Representatives, Chairman Putnam observed the critical importance of groups such as NAIFA's Young Advisors Team (YAT) at a time when the input of the younger generation is eagerly sought by legislators. Both representatives stressed the value proposition that constituent lobbyists bring to the debate, congratulated the NAIFA participants for their action and urged them to continue to be engaged in the process upon their return home.