InsurPac

What is InsurPac?

InsurPac is the Political Action Committee (PAC) of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA). It was established in 1975 to complement IIABA’s legislative program, and has since become the largest property-casualty insurance industry PAC in the country. InsurPac is one of the reasons that the Big “I” is routinely rated in Fortune magazines top-25 list of most successful lobbying groups in Washington, DC.

“Lobbying and a well-funded PAC go hand-in-hand,” says Charles Symington, IIABA’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Federal Relations. “InsurPac’s voice resonates through the halls of Congress on behalf of the Big “I”. Every elected official knows that a contribution from InsurPac is a contribution from 24,000 small business owners.”

InsurPac raises funds by asking for voluntary personal contributions from independent agents and brokers throughout the country. By pooling these monies together, InsurPac helps elect candidates and re-elect members of the U.S. Congress who share IIABA’s business philosophy.

This concept of pooling personal contributions together for the greater good is essential to understanding the importance of PACs. As an individual, you can make the average contribution of $200 to a Congressman, or you can invest that $200 in a PAC, which in turn combines that with 9 other agents and gives the same Congressman $2,000. At the end of the day, PACs are able to speak with a collective voice that is much louder than that of an individual. It is impossible to undervalue the power of a collective voice—of a collective InsurPac speaking on behalf of the Independent Agency system.

While contributions do not buy solutions to legislative debates, they do allow members of IIABA’s government affairs team significant face time with elected officials. Through InsurPac, IIABA is allowed the opportunity to educate members of Congress and develop working relationships with them. These relationships make it much easier to get a foot in the door when critical legislation is being decided.

Issues that are currently being discussed in Congress include: federal regulation of insurance, producer compensation, tort reform, tax issues (including the depreciation of expirations), terrorism insurance, natural disaster reform, crop insurance, health insurance reform, and much more. With InsurPac’s help, IIABA’s government affairs team is prepared to protect the Independent Agency system on each of these issues.

InsurPac is going to bat for independent agents on a daily basis, working to protect their livelihoods. However, these efforts are made more difficult because it is being outspent by major competitors and special interest groups. You can do your part by supporting InsurPac. In 2005, InsurPac spent $35,000 on Illinois candidates and members of Congress, but only raised $21,075 from IIA of IL members. To invest in the future of your industry by making a personal contribution to InsurPac, please click here.