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NAIFA President Rob Smith addresses attendees at the Congressional Conference
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.
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