As members of Congress get ready to implement tax reform, 1,000 NAIFA members from across the NAIFA federation convened in Washington, D.C., yesterday with one important goal in mind: to tell their legislative representatives their stories of how life insurance is helping millions of American families save and prepare for their financial future.
NAIFA is currently hosting the two-day Congressional Conference to give its members a platform for communicating their expertise and concerns to their elected officials, and let them know about the important role the products they sell play in the lives of all Americans. With this conference, NAIFA members are maximizing their influence and ensuring that tax reform does not make it more difficult or more expensive for Americans to plan for their financial security.
NAIFA President Robert Smith, CLU, ChFC, LIC, J.D., welcomed the members to the meeting and thanked them for their support and for taking time out of their busy schedules to participate in the conference.
“We are here to meet with our elected representatives and senators to explain the value of our industry to our clients,” he said. “Over 1,000 of us are here, and we have people representing every state in the Union. Together, we can, and will make a difference.
“We will make sure our elected representatives hear our message loud and clear,” he added. “We are unified and we are national in our scope. We may be doing ‘write-ins’ and ‘call-ins’ and whatever else it takes to protect the interest of our clients. We are prepared to stay engaged until we win! Together, we will prevail!”
Joining Smith on the podium were several NAIFA executives and leaders, including NAIFA CEO, Dr. Susan Waters, CAE. She again thanked the members for their unwavering support of NAIFA, and reminded them that they are taking part in a process that has been the mainstay of what the association and its members do, and do very well: Advocate for an industry that protects and secures the financial future of America’s families and businesses.
One of the great things about living in a democracy, she said, is the ability to participate. “You get to go to Capitol Hill to meet with your members of Congress. You get to tell them our stories,” she said.
“With your efforts today,” she added, “along with your hard work up to this point and moving forward, Congress will see the light. They will know that 75 million American families depend on the life insurance industry. They will know that these same people depend on Congress to make good decisions to protect our products and services—decisions that will preserve the good we do for families, businesses and the economy.”
Participants at the meeting also heard from Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, president and CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers. Kempthorne took the audience on a voyage through history as he described the role that life insurance has played, and continues to play, in the lives of millions of Americans.
He cited several instances in which life insurance has come to the aid of Americans in their time of need. In 1910, for example, when a passenger on the famed Titanic died, Metropolitan Life Insurance paid $1,000 to one of his brothers. Again, after the 9-11 attack, life insurers honored the life insurance policies of the deceased, even without evidence of death. “When you spread the message about the great life insurance industry, you are spreading the great tale of American history,” he said.
He added that NAIFA members are soldiers for a just cause and part of an industry that helps keep the dreams alive for millions of Americans. “This is not a job or a career,” he said over and over again. “It is a calling. You are part of an industry that helps seniors maintain their dignity and financial independence by receiving income they cannot outlive. You are part of an industry that advises people in good times and in bad, when babies are born, and loved ones perish.”
The conference continues today, as members go to Capitol Hill to participate in 428 meetings with their senators and representatives.
NAIFA’s grass-roots efforts
The NAIFA Congressional Conference is the third of a series of grassroots events organized by the insurance and financial-services industry to help educate Congress on the important role insurance products play in protecting the financial security of millions of American families. More than 150 NAIFA members participated in a Day on the Hill event from January 28 to 29.