The Congressional Contact Program (CCP) gives you the chance to meet with Minnesota members of the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate to discuss key federal issues affecting the mutual insurance industry.
This effort is coordinated with the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) and has proven to be an effective tool in helping members of Congress better understand who we are. This, in turn, helps prevent harmful legislation from passing.
Take a look at previous trips below:
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.
2016 CONGRESSIONAL CONTACT PROGRAM
The 2016 NAMIC CCP visit to Washington D.C. was another success. 16 people representing 11 different MAFMIC companies attended and participated in this important outreach with federal elected officials. Attendees met with NAMIC staff to learn about the current issues facing our industry in congress, and then spent the following day on capitol hill meeting with Senators and Congressmen. On our visit, we met with Congressman Peterson, Congressman Emmer, Congressman Paulsen, Congressman Nolan as well as staff for Senators Klobuchar and Franken and Congressmen Kline, Walz, and McCollum.
We lobbied the members of Congress and their staffs to push back against any international regulation that could creep into the system as a result of Dodd-Frank. We let them know that the best way to regulate insurance companies is as the state level and we maintain our unwavering support of that system. We also discussed the importance of pre-disaster mitigation as opposed to post-disaster mitigation and the savings to the taxpayer as well as insurance companies when this is done. Lastly, we talked about the emerging issues of drones and about legislation that would allow insurance companies to use drones to inspect property and adjust losses as well as our ability to insure them. MAFMIC members impacted by the passage of the Small Mutual Inflation Update were also able to thank Senator Klobuchar and Congressmen Kline, Peterson, and Paulsen for their hard work on this issue.
The Congressional Contact Program is a great way to keep elected officials aware of what we do. Congressman Nolan said it well during this 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.
The Congressional Contact Program (CCP) gives you the chance to meet with Minnesota members of the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate to discuss key federal issues affecting the mutual insurance industry.
This effort is coordinated with the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) and has proven to be an effective tool in helping members of Congress better understand who we are. This, in turn, helps prevent harmful legislation from passing.
2015 CONGRESSIONAL CONTACT PROGRAM
The 2015 Congressional Contact Program (CCP) had 17 people from 11 different MAFMIC companies attend and participate in this important outreach with most members of the Minnesota Congressional Delegation. Participants discussed with our representatives who our companies are and what we do. In addition to informing them about who we are, we also lobbied on issues that are of importance to our industry. The issues discussed included opposing international insurance standards and maintaining state-based regulation of insurance, passage of the small company tax provision, the PARTS ACT, and natural disaster mitigation.
It was a busy time to be in D.C., as republicans were scheduled to elect a new Speaker of the House. Frontrunner Kevin McCarthy suddenly announced he would not be running. This development caused congressmen’s schedules to change and prevent us with meeting with many of the Minnesota delegation. Congressmen Paulsen and Peterson met with us personally while Senators Franken and Klobuchar as well as Congressmen Walz, Kline, McCollum, Emmer, and Nolan had us meet with staff. Congressman Ellison didn’t provide anyone for us to meet with.
We appreciate everyone who attended from MAFMIC and we appreciate the NAMIC Washington Staff for the great job they do representing our issues. If you are interested in attending in the future, please contact the MAFMIC office.
