Federal

NAIFA’s federal advocacy efforts never take a break, even when Congress is on its annual August recess. In fact, the “August recess” is a bit of a misnomer. While the House of Representatives and Senate are not in session, most lawmakers are back in their home districts working in local offices and meeting with local constituents. The House of Representatives calls this time on its calendar the “District Work Period.”

NAIFA members took advantage of this time by holding hundreds of in-district meetings with lawmakers.

In-district meetings are different from legislative meetings in Washington, D.C. Lawmakers are likely to be less harried and have more free time on their schedules when they are away from Washington. Typically, they are home for the purpose of meeting with constituents. They won’t be called away for committee meetings or legislative votes.

The meetings tend to be less formal. Lawmakers know that a NAIFA member meeting with them in the district is an actual constituent (and voter) and not one of the many professional lobbyists they may see on a typical day in Washington. In-district meetings are key to building meaningful grassroots relationships with lawmakers.

“On two occasions, I’ve gone to in-district meetings and my congressman said, ‘Let’s go grab a cup of coffee,’” said NAIFA President Lawrence Holzberg, LUTCF, LACP. “It’s a much more relaxed way to talk about issues and get that relationship going. And they begin to see you not just as a constituent but as someone they can rely on for advice and counsel.”

Several NAIFA chapters took advantage of the August recess to hold Legislative Days. For example, more than 50 NAIFAUtah members attended an event along with Representatives Burgess Owens, Chris Stewart, and Blake Moore. Also attending was a staff member from Senator Mike Lee’s office. Representative John Curtis had a prior commitment but addressed the audience via video.

NAIFA-Utah members were able to meet and talk with lawmakers one-on-one or in small groups. Among the goals of the event were to establish or strengthen relationships between NAIFA members and lawmakers, demonstrate that NAIFA members can serve as resources on insurance and financial services matters, and remind lawmakers of the important work NAIFA members do for their clients and Utah consumers every day.

NAIFA’s yearlong grassroots strategy encourages multiple in-person connections with lawmakers, including at NAIFA’s May Congressional Conference, in-person meetings during the August recess, a day on the Hill during NAIFA’s fall/winter National Leadership Conference, and at community and fundraising events throughout the year. Many state chapters also hold legislative events that bring financial professionals and lawmakers together.

“We preach year-over-year to have three or four touches with your legislator each year,” said NAIFA Grassroots Chair Mike Peters, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF. “Those three or four touches year after year help to build relationships. And that’s really what we want to do. To remind legislators who NAIFA is and what we do. In district, you get to sit down with them and explain that the people they represent live nearby and really drive home how many of their constituents you do business with.”

NAIFA is an active participant in organizations including the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL), working with them to create and promote model legislation and regulations. NAIFA’s input helps ensure that these models benefit consumers, encourage strong relationships between financial professionals and their clients, and ensure Main Street Americans have access to needed products, services, and advice.

A recent NCOIL resolution, for example, supports the continued independent contractor status for