Federal

NAIFA’s annual Congressional Conference is the premier grassroots advocacy event for insurance and financial professionals. The highlight of the event each May is when NAIFA members and guests fill the halls of congressional office buildings and attend meetings with their elected officials.

This year, the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions at the U.S. Capitol required the Congressional Conference to be a 100% virtual event. NAIFA’s Government Relations Team and other experts provided policy briefings on legislation — like the PRO Act, the SECURE Act 2.0 and proposed tax law changes — important to NAIFA members and their clients. Presenters offered tips and best practices for having successful meetings with lawmakers and their staff and for developing long-term relationships with elected officials.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) and Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) shared messages of support and encouragement with NAIFA members and the other insurance and financial professionals in attendance.

And while our grassroots advocates could not actually set foot in Capitol Hill offices this year, we certainly made an impact. Congressional Conference attendees held 100 virtual meetings with U.S. Senators and their staff. NAIFA members shared their personal stories and those of their clients. These are stories no one else can tell that vividly illustrate the vital work insurance and financial professionals do in diverse communities across the United States.

Because of the Congressional Conference and NAIFA members’ personal advocacy work throughout the year, Senators and Representatives in Washington, D.C., know how NAIFA members can help a family in Poughkeepsie, New York, cope with an unexpected loss; work with a business owner in Beaumont, Texas, to provide an employee retirement plan; or help an entrepreneur in Davis, California, assess her long-term care needs.

More than 1,300 registered participants made NAIFA’s 2021 Virtual Congressional Conference an undeniable success. And while NAIFA members look forward to a return to face-to-face meetings with their lawmakers, this year’s event has shown how technology and remote meetings can make NAIFA’s advocacy more powerful than ever and even more accessible.

“At the end of the day, the most important thing is making sure our message is heard,” said NAIFA President Tom Michel. “Whether it involves a handshake or a Zoom meeting, you can be sure that NAIFA will be connecting with our policymakers so laws and regulations provide the best possible outcomes for insurance and financial professionals and the consumers who depend on us.”