Legislators are Home for the Summer – It’s Time for a Visit!
It’s that time of year again, when members of Congress escape Washington, D.C. and travel home to their districts to spend time with their family and their constituents. This period, which runs from July 29 – September 8, gives NAIFA members the opportunity to continue to build relationships with their elected officials.
Join your colleagues and attend a district meeting! Meeting with your legislators while they are back in your state builds helps to build on the messages that were delivered during the Congressional Conference and solidify NAIFA as a resource for issues pertaining to our industry. If your Congressman was one of the 417 who voted YES on the SECURE Act, this is a great opportunity to say thank you. If you meet with one of your Senators, be sure to use this opportunity to ask them to pass the SECURE Act through unanimous consent (or whatever else works)! NAIFA has a variety of resources, including talking points and issue briefs, to assist you with your meeting preparations. If you have any additional questions about in district activity, contact Political Involvement Manager Maggie Buneo at mbuneo@naifa.org.
Unable to meet with your legislator this summer? You can still take action and communicate with them on issues important to your business.
Another One Bites the Dust
Congressional retirement season is upon us. There have been six House Republicans to announce retirement in the past two weeks and fourteen members retiring from the current Congress. An additional nine members are running for a different public office or nominated for an Administration position. This is not a new trend. In the 2018 election cycle, over 70 Members of Congress retired, sought a different public office or took a government position.
This means lots of new members heading our way
Remember NAIFAPAC typically doesn’t play in open races and due to Play to Pay rules cannot contribute to federal candidates holding a current state or local elected office or held one in the last two years. However, we can start building relationships now and educate candidates on the importance of our industry. Get to know the candidates and let us know your thoughts! Let NAIFA’s Advocacy Team know what you are hearing at advocacy@naifa.org.
Here’s a list of who won’t be returning so far…
House Retirements*
Republicans
Rep. Martha Roby (Alabama)
Rep. Rob Woodall (Georgia)
Rep. Susan Brooks (Indiana)
Rep. Paul Mitchell (Michigan)
Rep. K. Michael Conaway (Texas)
Rep. Will Hurd (Texas)
Rep. Pete Olson (Texas)
Rep. Rob Bishop (Utah)
Democrats
Rep. Dave Loebsack (Iowa)
Rep. Jose Serrano (New York)
Senate Retirements*
Republicans
Sen. Pat Roberts (Kansas)
Sen. Mike Enzi (Wyoming)
Sen. Lamar Alexander (Tennessee)
Democrats
Rep. Tom Udall (New Mexico)
*List as of 8/1/2019
GAMA and AALU Announce Merger
This week GAMA and AALU announced their intention to merge. Both organizations agreed to dissolve their boards, names and membership to combine under a newly named entity that will continue to include their large international contingency. NAIFA released a statement and was cited in both Insurance News Net and Think Advisor as to the merger. NAIFA sees the merger clearly delineating NAIFA as the only association that is the voice of the producer, advocates at both the state and federal levels and offers a grassroots army that defends Main Street USA businesses and families.
NAIFA + WIFS
We are proud to represent and support our advocacy partner, WIFS. WIFS will join NAIFA at our P+P annual meeting and we hope to see all WIFS members at P+P this year!
Learn more about the influence of NAIFA's grassroots army in the passage the SECURE Act in this month's AdviseHER magazine.
LAAIA 49th Annual Convention
We are so proud to be the advocacy partner of LAAIA! We wish them a great 49th annual convention. Know that we are out every day at the state and federal levels advocating for Main Street USA and financial security for all.