WSIA PAC on track for contributions milestone

Now in its thirteenth year, the WSIA PAC is an increasingly important component of WSIA’s legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts. The PAC offers an influential voice on the industry’s most complex insurance issues and provides education to members of Congress as well as financial support to candidates whose philosophies are consistent with the goals of WSIA and its members.

Between its inception in 2005 and Sept. 1, 2018, 1,693 individual contributions have been made to the PAC totaling $999,705.

The WSIA PAC Committee’s contribution goal for 2018 is $150,000, according to Bruce Kessler, WSIA PAC Committee Chair and Division President, Westchester. Kessler said that the PAC Committee is emphasizing the importance of getting more members involved in contributing, working to increase the total number of contributions and the number of individual WSIA member firm employees who are participating.

“We have continued to set PAC contribution records, and this year the committee set an ambitious goal,” said Kessler. “With the 2018 total, we have the potential to reach the $1 million total contributions mark since the PAC’s formation. That’s a big milestone, and it is a testament to the dedication of our members to this industry.”

Related: WSIA’s U40: Forging future leaders

Hitting $1 million

Those contributions have been used to support candidates for federal office and to educate many others. The PAC can contribute up to $5,000 per election to any one candidate.

“It’s very important for WSIA members and contributors to understand that the PAC can contribute no more than $5,000 per election to any one member of Congress,” said Kessler.

“That is not an extremely significant contribution in terms of the actual dollar amount, but what’s important is that it is a significant contribution to a candidate and can be very impactful. It also makes every individual contribution to the PAC valuable. A number of individual contributions come together to really make a difference, and it’s important in Washington D.C. to demonstrate that we have broad-based personal support from our members who work in the industry.”

WSIA’s annual Legislative Fly-In (held this year on Feb. 13 and 14) is also an important element of the Association’s outreach and education effort in Washington D.C. In 2018, 40 WSIA members and staff representing the Legislative Committee, Executive Committee, PAC Committee and U40 met with 36 Members of Congress and/or their staff.

About Fly-In

Keri Kish, WSIA Director of Government Relations, considers the Fly-In a success in part because of the number of meetings held but mostly due to the effectiveness of those meetings. Kish said the group met with members of Congress who serve on either the House Financial Services Committee or the Senate Banking Committee, and a number of the members serve on the respective subcommittees on insurance.

“We find that we are increasingly able to focus these visits on the key issues that impact the industry,” Kish said. “We begin with general wholesale, specialty and surplus lines education and background, but as we return year after year, it’s heartening to see that members are really gaining a great understanding of the industry.

“The first topic we emphasized was our strong support for the Flood Insurance Market Parity and Modernization Act, thanking the House for their passage of the legislation in November and asking the Senate to move the critical legislation forward as soon as possible. We also continued to emphasize the successes of the Non-admitted and Reinsurance Reform Act (NRRA) of 2010 and asked for continued protection of the NRRA during any discussions to reform the Dodd-Frank Act.”

The group also asked members to eliminate unnecessary Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) reporting for the property and casualty industry.

“We felt that our meetings were productive, and it is gratifying to be part of these in-person interactions. You really get a sense of WSIA’s credibility with members of Congress who are influencing insurance legislation,” said Kessler. “The members of Congress and staff that we met with were engaged in discussions of our issues. They have a good understanding of the industry thanks to these ongoing efforts.”

Related: Speaking to power: The impact of WSIA’s legislative efforts

Government involvement

Kessler said that an important role of the PAC and WSIA’s legislative advocacy is to educate members of Congress about how their decisions affect their constituents at home, and personal meetings help reinforce that.

“Participating in the Fly-In really highlights the importance of electing knowledgeable candidates and that supporting the PAC is a long-term and effective investment in our industry,” he explained. “While candidates we meet with may not always vote the way want, we certainly welcome the open dialog and constructive conversations to reach positive for WSIA and our members.”

Kish said that the WSIA PAC’s presence helps the association engage members of Congress in discussions to best leverage all the resources that are in place for the association in Washington D.C. “It is powerful to go into meetings with members of Congress and demonstrate the support of a large number of WSIA members,” she said. “As the PAC grows, and we continue to be consistent in message, the Association becomes an important source for industry information in D.C.”

The WSIA PAC Committee awards special recognition to two member firms based on their employees’ voluntary contributions to the PAC. Currently, the firms with the most contributions are RT Specialty and AmWINS.

“The WSIA team constantly works to communicate with legislators about what our members do and the impact of this industry on the overall U.S. economy. It is important for us to have a strong PAC behind that message,” Kish added. “The legislative and regulatory issues that our members face are complex, and being able to have these meetings and dialog is important for our success.”

Kessler said that personal contributions to the PAC must come from employees of WSIA-member firms as individuals and that members contribute during Annual Marketplace at the PAC table on the Marquis Level of the Marriott, or online at www.wsiapac.org.

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