CHIEF DEPUTY WHIP CANTOR TO ADDRESS INSIDERS’ LUNCHEON
U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor confirmed as speaker for April 19 Big “I” event
WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 3—Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), chief deputy whip of the U.S. House of Representatives, will speak to national leaders of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) during the association’s annual Insiders’ Luncheon on Capitol Hill.
The luncheon will be held April 19, immediately prior to the start of the Big “I” 29th annual National Legislative Conference. Luncheon participants will include Big “I” Executive Committee and Government Affairs Committee members as well as agent and broker leaders from Cantor’s home state of Virginia.
Approximately 1,000 independent agents and brokers are expected to participate in the National Legislative Conference, the industry’s best-attended, most effective legislative meeting. This year’s event will take place April 20 through 22 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington D.C. Additional leading political speakers will be announced as they are confirmed.
“Chief Deputy Whip Cantor is a rising star in the House leadership and Congress,” says IIABA CEO Robert A. Rusbuldt. “Eric Cantor has been instrumental on a number of important insurance and business issues, including our push for renewal of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA). Our association’s leaders will be very interested in his insights on all these issues, and we are very pleased to have a mover and shaker from the leadership.”
Cantor last year joined Reps. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), Richard Baker (R-La.) and Sue Kelly (R-N.Y.) in introducing H.R. 4634, the Terrorism Insurance Backstop Extension Act, which would have extended this important program an additional two years through December 31, 2007. In addition to his leading role as chief deputy whip in setting the policy agenda in Congress, Cantor also serves on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, which has direct jurisdiction over taxes and health care.
“Eric Cantor’s work in the House is vitally important for independent insurance agents and brokers, and our members will benefit greatly from his insights,” says Charles E. Symington, Jr., Big “I” senior vice president of federal government affairs. “He’s involved in all legislation that comes to the House floor, which provides a great perspective for our members.”
Cantor, first elected to Congress in 2000, is now serving his third term representing the Richmond area. He rose quickly in the House Republican leadership and was tapped as chief deputy whip shortly after being reelected in 2002. Prior to winning a seat in Congress, Cantor served for nine years as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, earning praise from Virginia Free, the state’s leading pro-business organization, and the Virginia Health Care Association.
Highlights of the Big “I” National Legislative Conference will include an in-depth issues briefing session; the annual Big “I” congressional reception on Capitol Hill; appearances by numerous high-profile speakers discussing important insurance and national issues confronting lawmakers as well as agents and brokers in Washington, D.C.; and hundreds of meetings on Capitol Hill between Big “I” agents and brokers and lawmakers.
The conference provides an excellent opportunity for agents and brokers to discuss important issues with their Congressional representatives. Top issues this year include producer compensation, insurance regulatory reform, terrorism insurance, legal reform, tax reform and crop insurance.
To register online and for hotel reservations go to www.independentagent.com and select the “Events and Conferences” link. You also can obtain downloadable copies of the event registration and hotel reservation forms at this section.
Founded in 1896, IIABA is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 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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