Sen. Dean Heller is Big ‘I’ Legislator of the Year

Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nevada) is the Gerald Solomon-Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America Legislator of the Year for 2016.

As a member of both the U.S. Senate Banking and Finance Committees, Sen. Heller is at the center of many Big “I” priorities on Capitol Hill, including efforts to reauthorize the NFIP, reform the tax code, repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and address numerous insurance regulatory issues.

When presenting the award at Tuesday’s Leadership Luncheon during the Big “I” Legislative Conference, Bob Rusbuldt, Big “I” president & CEO, pointed out that over the years, Sen. Heller has also “led the charge” on efforts to protect the employer-sponsored health care system and repeal the ACA’s “Cadillac” tax.

Whether it’s flood insurance, commerce or another industry, Sen. Heller said on Tuesday that he’s “all for more competition,” noting that “higher quality and less cost” is his “driving force.”

Sen. Heller has taken a leadership role on a number of insurance-related bills, including introducing S. 563, the “Flood Insurance Market Parity and Modernization Act,” which would allow private flood insurance to satisfy NFIP continuous coverage requirements.

Working in a bipartisan fashion with Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico), Sen. Heller was instrumental in securing a two-year delay of the “Cadillac” tax at the end of 2015 and is again the lead sponsor of S. 58, the “Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act,” which would fully repeal the tax. Although Sen. Heinrich supports the ACA and Sen. Heller does not, they joined forces to address this provision that the Big “I” and countless small business organizations strongly oppose.

“My hope is that we will eliminate this 40% excise tax,” Sen. Heller said on Tuesday. He noted that some in Washington, D.C. want to keep the excise tax, but he does “not think it’s fair. It’s not fair to the individuals and the companies that are trying to decrease the cost of health care.”

A native Nevadan, Sen. Heller grew up in Carson City and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern California. Prior to being elected to the U.S. Senate, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives, as Nevada’s Secretary of State, in the Nevada State Assembly and as a stockbroker on the Pacific Stock Exchange.

In conclusion, Sen. Heller said that “a healthy insurance industry is an economic indicator of how strong this country is.”

The Big “I” bestows the Legislator of the Year Award annually upon a member of Congress who provides outstanding leadership on insurance issues. The name of the award honors the late Rep. Gerald Solomon (R-New York), former U.S. House of Representatives Rules Committee chairman and Big “I” member who championed independent agent and broker legislative concerns during his 20 years in Congress.

Margarita Tapia is Big “I” director of public affairs.

From left to right: Charles Symington, Big “I” senior vice president of external and government affairs; Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nevada); and Bob Rusbuldt, Big “I” president & CEO.