WASHINGTON, D.C., March 20, 2013 — The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) today announced that Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who serves on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs, will address the association’s membership on Thursday, April 18, 2013.
Sen. Warner will be a keynote speaker at the legislative conference breakfast which occurs just prior to the association’s annual Big “I” Day on Capitol Hill. Every year, agents and brokers visit Capitol Hill offices to educate members of the House, Senate and their staffs on issues that directly impact independent insurance agents, brokers and consumers.
“The Big ‘I’ is honored to have Sen. Warner address our members just before they head to Capitol Hill to talk with their members of Congress,” says Robert A. Rusbuldt, Big “I” president and CEO. “Sen. Warner’s perspective is important to independent agents and brokers because he has an understanding of the challenges facing the business community.”
Sen. Warner was first elected to the Senate in 2008 and serves on the Senate Banking, Budget, Commerce and Intelligence Committees. He also serves on numerous important subcommittees including the Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment. Sen. Warner is known for numerous bipartisan efforts including organizing the Senate's “Gang of Six,” which has worked since 2011 to find bipartisan solutions for deficit and debt reduction. He previously served as Virginia’s governor and was a businessman and early investor in cellular technology. Sen. Warner earned his undergraduate degree from the George Washington University and a law degree from Harvard Law School.
“Sen. Warner is an original cosponsor of NARAB II legislation that would reform the agent licensing system and is one of the Big ‘I’s’ top legislative priorities,” says Charles E. Symington, Jr., Big “I” senior vice president for external and government affairs. “We look forward to continuing to work with him on NARAB II and many other issues that directly impact the quarter of a million professionals we represent and the millions of insurance consumers they serve.”
The Big “I” Legislative Conference is the insurance industry’s best-attended, most effective legislative meeting. This year’s event will take place April 17-19 at the Grand Hyatt Washington Hotel in Washington, D.C.
The legislative conference is an opportunity for Big “I” agents and brokers to discuss important issues with their congressional representatives. Top issues this year include: tax reform, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), insurance regulatory reform, agent licensing reform, health insurance, the Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP), terrorism risk insurance, and other economic challenges facing independent insurance agents and the industry.
Other highlights of the Big “I” Legislative Conference include in-depth issues briefing sessions; appearances by numerous high-profile speakers discussing important insurance and national issues confronting lawmakers as well as agents and brokers and hundreds of meetings on Capitol Hill between Big “I” agents and brokers and their elected representatives in the Congress.
For registration and hotel information, go to
www.independentagent.com and select the “Events and Conferences” link. Journalists interested in attending, please contact Margarita Tapia, director of public affairs, at (800) 221-7917 or
margarita.tapia@iiaba.net for media registration.
Founded in 1896, the Big “I” is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of approximately a quarter of a million agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance—property, casualty, life, health, employee benefit plans and retirement products. Web address:
www.independentagent.com.
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