September 8, 2014
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
In April, many of America’s major employers from a broad range of organizations across the nation joined in a letter to Congress strongly urging that the body move swiftly to reauthorize the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) which is currently set to expire at the end of this calendar year. The undersigned organizations applaud the House and Senate for efforts thus far to renew this program, including the Senate’s work in July to pass a long-term, bipartisan reform bill with a 93-4 vote. We write to you today to urge the House to move forward in reauthorizing this critical program as soon as possible.
The tragic terrorist attacks on 9/11 fundamentally changed the landscape for insuring against the risk of terrorism in the U.S. Struck with an inability to model frequency, location, type and the potentially devastating scale of modern terrorism, insurers were forced to pull out of the marketplace, and in the months following the attacks, the inability of insurance policyholders to secure terrorism risk insurance contributed to a paralysis in the economy, especially in the construction, travel and tourism, manufacturing, and real estate finance sectors. President Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers estimated that over 300,000 jobs were lost prior to TRIA’s initial enactment in 2002.
TRIA has made it possible for the American economy to get the coverage it needs, while protecting the taxpayer. By maintaining our economic stability in the face of ongoing terrorist threats, TRIA serves as a vital public-private risk sharing mechanism. TRIA fosters certainty in the marketplace by ensuring that private terrorism risk insurance coverage remains commercially available at virtually no cost to the taxpayer. Without the backstop that TRIA provides, the private insurance market would simply be unable to provide adequate levels of terrorism risk insurance. Maintaining a workable federal terrorism insurance mechanism is vital for our nation’s economic security. Without adequate coverage, our ability to mitigate further economic fallout in the event of an attack would be greatly impaired.
The American business community needs certainty so that it can continue to focus on its primary mission of creating jobs. The undersigned organizations urge Congress to reauthorize this important program without delay.
Sincerely,
Abbey Residential, LLC Accident Fund Holdings, Inc. Accredited Surety and Casualty Company, Inc. ACE Group Addison Chamber of Commerce & Industry Aerospace Industries Association AIG Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance Alaska Hotel & Lodging Association Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber (NY) ALPS Property & Casualty Insurance Company Alterra American Insurance Company Alterra Excess and Surplus Insurance Company Alterra Reinsurance USA, Inc. American Agricultural Insurance Company American Association of Port Authorities American Coatings Association American Council of Engineering Companies American Family Insurance American Gaming Association American Hotel & Lodging Association American Insurance Association American Land Title Association American National Property and Casualty Company American Residential Properties American Resort Development Association American Resources Insurance Company American Society of Association Executives Aon Argo Group ARI Insurance Companies Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association Arkansas Hospitality Association Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. ASIS International Associated Estates Realty Corporation Associated International Insurance Company Association of American Railroads Atlantic Charter Insurance Company Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce (IL) AXA Insurance Company BADGER MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY Baytown Chamber of Commerce (TX) Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce (ID) Boston Properties Brandywine Realty Trust Buckeye Valley Chamber of Commerce (AZ) Burbank Chamber of Commerce (CA) Business Council of Alabama California Chamber of Commerce California Hotel & Lodging Association Camarillo Chamber of Commerce (CA) Cameron Mutual Insurance Company Capitol Representation, Inc. Catawba County Chamber of Commerce (NC) CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. CBRE Cerritos Regional Chamber of Commerce (CA) Chamber of Commerce Hawaii Chamber of the Santa Barbara Region (CA) Chambers of Commerce Alliance of Ventura & Santa Barbara Counties (CA) Charlotte Chamber of Commerce (NC) Chatham Lodging Trust Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry (PA) Chicago Southland Chamber (IL) Choice Hotels International, Inc Church Mutual Insurance Company Club Managers Association of America CNA Insurance Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association Columbia Insurance Group Commerical Real Estate Finance Council Connecticut Business & Industry Association Connecticut Insurance & Financial Services Cluster Connecticut Lodging Association Contractors Bonding and Insurance Company Council of New York Cooperatives & Condominiums COUNTRY Financial CUNA Mutual Deerfield Insurance Company Detroit Regional Chamber (MI) Devonshire REIT, Inc. Diamond Insurance Company Duke Realty Corporation East Feliciana Chamber of Commerce (LA) Eastern Alliance Insurance Group Edison Electric Institute Edison Properties Education Realty Trust Electric Insurance Company EMC Insurance Companies EPR Properties Equity Residential Erie Insurance Group Essentia Insurance Company Essex Insurance Company Evanston Insurance Company Extra Space Storage Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated Financial Services Roundtable First Potomac Realty Trust FirstComp Insurance Company Fisher Brothers Florida Chamber of Commerce Florida Family Insurance Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Food Marketing Institute Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce (TX) Founders Insurance Company Frankenmuth Insurance Company Fresno Chamber of Commerce (CA) Fullerton Chamber of Commerce (CA) Gallia County Chamber of Commerce (OH) Gateway Chambers Alliance General Growth Properties, Inc. General Star Indemnity Company General Star National Insurance Company Genesis Insurance Company Georgia Chamber of Commerce Georgia Hotel & Lodging Association Gladstone Commercial Corporation Glendale Chamber of Commerce (AZ) Glimcher Realty Trust Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce (CA) Graphic Arts Mutual Insurance Company Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce (FL) Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce (CA) Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce (GA) Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce (TX) Greater Louisville Inc. (KY) Greater Miami Chamber (FL) Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce (FL) Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce (TX) Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce (AZ) Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce (RI) Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce (NC) Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce (FL) Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce (NC) Griffin Capital Corporation Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association Hawaii Employers Mutual Insurance Company Hersha Hospitality Trust Highwoods Properties, Inc. Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce (SC) Hilton Worldwide Homeowners of America Ins. Co. Host Hotels & Resorts Hotel Association of Washington DC Hueneme Chamber of Commerce (CA) Illinois Chamber of Commerce Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association Indiana Chamber of Commerce Indiana Restaurant & Lodging Association Indio Chamber of Commerce (CA) Inland Real Estate Group Institute of Real Estate Management InterContinental Hotels Group International Council of Shopping Centers International Franchise Association International Speedway Corporation Investcorp Investment Program Association Jack Resnick & Sons James River Insurance Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company Johnson City, TN Chamber of Commerce Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center (SC) Kilroy Realty Corporation Kimco Realty Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants Kingsport Chamber of Commerce (TN) Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce (HI) Lackawanna Insurance Group Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce (AZ) Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce (MI) Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce (NV) LaSalle Hotel Properties Lawyers’ Mutual Insurance Company LBA Realty League City Chamber of Commerce (TX) Liberty Mutual Insurance Liberty Property Trust Lincoln Chamber of Commerce (NE) Lloyd’s of London Loews Hotels Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce (CA) Longview Chamber of Commerce (TX) Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce (CA) Louisa County Chamber of Commerce (VA) Louisiana Hotel & Lodging Association LTC Properties, Inc. LUBA Workers’ Comp Macerich Maine Innkeepers Association Manatee Chamber of Commerce (FL) Manhattan Chamber of Commerce (NY) Marana Chamber of Commerce (AZ) Markel American Insurance Company Markel Insurance Company Marriott International, Inc. Maryland Chamber of Commerce Maryland Hotel & Lodging Association Massachusetts Lodging Association McGraw Hill Financial McLean County Chamber of Commerce (IL) Metro South Chamber of Commerce (MA) MetroHartford Alliance MGM Resorts International Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association Miller Global Properties Minnesota Lodging Association Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce (AL) Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation Montana Chamber of Commerce Montana Lodging & Hospitality Association Montana Manufacturing Council Mountain States Insurance Group Mt. Hawley Insurance Company NAIOP, Commercial Real Estate Development Association Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce (IL) NASCAR National Association of Home Builders National Association of Manufacturers National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies National Association of Professional Insurance Agents National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts National Association of REALTORS® National Association of Waterfront Employers National Black Chamber of Commerce National Council of Agricultural Employers National Football League National Grid National Restaurant Association National Retail Federation National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry Nebraska Hotel & Motel Association Nevada Hotel & Lodging Association New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association New Jersey Business & Industry Association New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company New Mexico Association of Commerce & Industry New Orleans Chamber of Commerce (LA) New York Hospitality & Tourism Association North American Equipment Dealers Association North America’s Building Trades Union North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association North Country Chamber of Commerce (NY) North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, CVB (SC) North Texas Commission North Texas GLBT Chamber of Commerce Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce (FL) Nuclear Energy Institute Ohio Chamber of Commerce Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce (CA) Oklahoma Hotel & Lodging Association Old Glory Insurance Company OneAmerica Opelika Chamber of Commerce (AL) Orange County Business Council (CA) Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce (WI) Oxnard Chamber of Commerce (CA) Pacific Compensation Insurance Company Pacific Northwest Waterways Association Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce (CA) Paramount Chamber of Commerce (CA) Partnership for New York City Pasadena Chamber of Commerce (CA) Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Penn National Insurance Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association Physicians Realty Trust Piedmont Office Realty Trust Pinnacol Assurance Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce (PA) PMA Insurance Group Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce/Tourist Bureau (TX) Post Properties, Inc. Potlach Corporation Property Casualty Insurers Association of America PS Business Parks, Inc. Public Storage QTS Realty Trust, Inc. Quality Support, Inc. Rayonier Rayonier Advanced Materials Real Estate Board of New York Real Estate Roundtable Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce (CA) Republic Franklin Insurance Company Rexford Industrial Realty, Inc. RFR Holding LLC Rhode Island Hospitality Association Risk and Insurance Management Society RLI Indemnity Company RLI Insurance Company RLJ Lodging Trust Rockingham Group Rockrose Development Corp. Rolling Meadows Chamber of Commerce (IL) Rouse Properties, Inc. RXR Realty Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce (CA) Safety National Casualty Corp. Salt Lake Chamber (UT) San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce (CA) San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce (CA) San Francisco Chamber of Commerce (CA) San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership (CA) San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce (CA) Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce and Convention-Visitors Bureau (CA) Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce (PA) Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce (AZ) Selective Insurance Company of America Self-Insurance Institute of America Sentry Insurance a Mutual Company Shelter Insurance Companies (Columbia, Missouri) Shorenstein Properties LLC Silver City Grant County Chamber of Commerce (NM) Silverstein Properties,Inc SL Green Realty Corp. Society Insurance South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce (AL) South Bay Association of Chambers of Commerce (CA) South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company South Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association South Metro Denver Chamber (CO) Southwest California Legislative Council St. Joseph County Chamber of Commerce (IN) Starwood Hotels & Resorts State Auto Insurance Companies Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. SunTrust Banks, Inc. Swiss Re Taubman Centers, Inc. Tempe Chamber of Commerce (AZ) Tenaska Tennessee Hospitality Association Texas Association of Business Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Companies Texas Hotel & Lodging Association The ABA Securities Association The AES Corporation The American Bankers Association The American Bankers Insurance Association The Business Council of New York State, Inc. The Chamber of Reno, Sparks, and Northern Nevada The Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers The Gray Insurance Company The Hartford The Main Street America Group The National Association of Professional Employer Organizations The New England Council The Starr Companies The State Chamber of Oklahoma The Walt Disney Company Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce (CA) Torus National Insurance Company Torus Specialty Insurance Company Tower Hill Prime Insurance Company Traders Insurance Company Tucson Metro Chamber (AZ) Tulsa Regional Chamber (OK) U.S. Chamber of Commerce U.S. Travel Association UJA-Federation of New York, Inc. UMH Properties, Inc. United Airlines United Chambers of Commerce (CA) United Educators Insurance, a Reciprocal Risk Retention Group United States Telecom Association United Technologies Corporation Utah Hotel & Lodging Association Utica Lloyds of Texas Utica Mutual Insurance Company Utica National Assurance Company Utica National Insurance Company of Ohio Utica National Insurance Company of Texas Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce (GA) Vectren Corporation Ventas, Inc. Virginia Chamber of Commerce Virginia Hospitality & Travel Association W.P. Carey Inc. Wabash County Chamber of Commerce (IN) Washington Lodging Association Washington REIT Washington Retail Association Weingarten Realty Investors Wells Fargo West Virginia Hospitality & Travel Association Westfield Group White Pine chamber of Commerce (NV) Willis North America Inc. Willoughby Western Lake County Chamber of Commerce (OH) Wilmington Chamber of Commerce (NC) Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association Wyoming Lodging & Restaurant Association Yuma County Chamber of Commerce (AZ) Zurich North America