2017 CONGRESSIONAL CONTACT PROGRAM
The 2017 MAFMIC/NAMIC CCP visit to Washington D.C. was another productive trip for our industry. 18 people representing 11 separate MAFMIC member companies made the trip this year to communicate our positions to Minnesota’s elected federal officials. As is customary on this trip, participants met with the NAMIC staff prior to our Capitol Hill meetings to better understand the issues of top importance facing our industry. The following day we met with Representatives Walz (1), Paulsen (3), Emmer (6), Peterson (7), Nolan (8), and Senator Franken as well as staff for Representatives Lewis (2), McCollum (4), and Senator Klobuchar.
During this visit we also presented NAMIC Benjamin Franklin awards to Congressman Paulsen, Congressman Emmer, Congressman Peterson, and Senator Klobuchar. These awards recognize the support of these members of congress in the previous congress for their support of our industry. In particular this year, was recognizing their support of the Small Mutual Inflation Update.
Our group had four “asks” for each of the people we met with. 1.) We asked that they support the current state based insurance regulatory system and support the elimination of the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) which has demonstrated itself to be unnecessary, duplicative, and harmful. 2.) Support a National Mitigation Investment Strategy that incentivizes states to build stronger and shifts dollars to proactive, pre-disaster mitigation measures. 3.) Support a long-term reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and reforms to put it on a fiscally sustainable path by instituting risk based rates, increasing private sector involvement, addressing affordability, and increasing mitigation efforts. 4.) Restore the rights of private airspace by statutorily defining limits for national airspace, or working with the FAA to realign the agency’s posture with established legal precedent, to recognize the existence of private airspace for drone flights within 200 feet above private property.
The Congressional Contact Program is a great way to keep elected officials aware of what we do. Congressman Nolan said it well during a previous visit, “If you don’t show up, we either don’t know you exist or we don’t think you care.” Our participation lets them know we exist and that we care. If you are interested in future trips, please contact the MAFMIC office.
View photos from the 2017 CCP. Click on the image to see a larger version.
