WASHINGTON (Jan. 21, 2025) – The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies called on members of the Senate Commerce Committee to advance former congressman Sean Duffy’s nomination to head the Department of Transportation.

Duffy’s “commitment to making safety paramount as Transportation secretary particularly resonates with our members, who provide financial security for drivers and passengers in more than half of the 283 million vehicles on U.S. roads every day,” said Jimi Grande, NAMIC’s senior vice president of federal and political affairs, in a Jan. 20 letter to Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the chair and ranking member of the committee.

NAMIC works extensively with the Department of Transportation. “Every year we, along with our member companies, invest significant financial and staff resources in effort to reduce the frequency and severity of crashes all around the country,” Grande said, noting NAMIC’s work with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Governors Highway Safety Association, the National Alliance to Stop Impaired Driving, and the National Distracted Driving Coalition, among others. “Active participation by the DOT in those forums for promoting safety is critical, and we are confident that such participation will continue and perhaps even increase under Duffy’s leadership.”

NAMIC worked with Duffy on numerous initiatives during his time in Congress, particularly during his tenure as chair of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development, and Insurance. As chair, Duffy, “displayed a commitment to truly understanding prominent issues and learning about the economic and regulatory challenges faced by consumers,” Grande said. Among that work, Duffy orchestrated a 2018 hearing that explored the insurance implications in the era of autonomous vehicles. Further, the letter noted Duffy’s leadership in sponsoring legislation to require that U.S. negotiators ensure that international trade negotiations respect state and federal insurance laws and regulations and provide Congress with the means to reject any insurance standards imposed via trade agreements. For his work, Duffy was named the association’s 2017 Federal Legislator of the Year.

“Throughout his career in public service, Representative Duffy has displayed a balanced temperament, fairness to stakeholders, and a commitment to open dialogue around complex issues. We believe these qualities will help make him an exemplary secretary of Transportation, as well,” Grande concluded in endorsing Duffy’s nomination.

NAMIC membership reflects many of the country’s largest national insurers as well as regional and local mutual insurance companies on main streets across America. NAMIC members write $383 billion in annual premiums and account for 61 percent of homeowners, 48 percent of the automobile, and 25 percent of the business insurance markets.

Post Details

Publish Date

January 21, 2025

News Type

  • Media Release

Topics

  • Automobile
  • National

Points of Contact
Matt Brady
Matt Brady
Senior Director of Advocacy Communications