On the Hill

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “Setting Every Community up for Retirement Enhancement Act,” a bill intended to encourage small businesses to provide retirement benefits for their workers.

Bipartisanship was the focus during this year’s Big “I” Legislative Conference Breakfast keynotes.

The U.S. Senate must act on H.R. 2578 to make sure the NFIP does not lapse at the end of the month.

At press time, the U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a package of health care bills that would restore $100 million in funding for Navigators.

Last week, Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Florida), the first Vietnamese American woman to serve in Congress, addressed the Young Agents & InsurPac State Chairpersons Legislative Luncheon during the 2019 Big “I” Legislative Conference.

The Big “I” presents the Legislator of the Year Award annually to a member of Congress who provides outstanding leadership on insurance issues.

The NFIP is set to expire on May 31, barring action by Congress. This week, the Big “I” joined a group of 18 organizations in sending a letter to congressional leadership urging them to reauthorize the program.

In a one-page summary, the Big “I” government affairs staff outlines the key topics agents will take to Capitol Hill during this year’s event.

On Wednesday, a subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee held a hearing to examine discriminatory practices in the automobile loan and insurance industries.

The hearing was significant in that it was the first congressional hearing dedicated to Medicare for All, which has been gaining support among Democrats.