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Meetings” with Members of Congress and Congressional Staff Have All Become Virtual

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Meetings” with Members of Congress and Congressional Staff Have All Become Virtual MEMORANDUM: To: NSSTA BOD From: Eric Vaughn RE: April on Capitol Hill Date: April 13, 2020 Overview: “Meetings” with Members of Congress and Congressional staff have all become virtual. Face-to-face conversations are now phone calls and a response to a request for a meeting with a Member of Congress is an invitation to a ZOOM videoconference. Even political fundraising events have gone virtual and you have to bring your own glass of wine to the event. Life and work on Capitol Hill are challenging, complicated and require considerable flexibility and creativity. Here is an overview of the “meetings” I have had with Members of Congress and Congressional staff over the past two weeks, while Congress is out of Session. This report is designed to inform the structured settlements industry that important legislation activity is occurring on Capitol Hill and our industry must maintain an active presence on the Hill. Members of Congress need to hear from structured settlement industry leaders to build and enhance their enthusiastic support for the positive impact structured settlements have on the lives of injured people and their families. Meetings & Events on Capitol Hill: • Wednesday, April 1: Conference call with Robert Edmonson, Chief of Staff in the Office of Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and Katherine Monge, Senior Policy Director in Speaker Pelosi’s Office to discuss the SBA Payroll Protection Program for small business • Thursday, April 2: Call with Ian Foley, Legislative Director in the Office of Congressman Devin Nunes, R-California to provide background information on structured settlements • Thursday, April 2: Videoconference with Bill Tranghese, Chief of Staff in the Office of Congressman Richard Neal, D-Massachusetts to discuss plans for a Virtual event with the Congressman at the end of the month • Thursday, April 2: Call with Seth Gold, Health Care Policy Director in the Office of Senator Rob Portman to discuss the limitation on the use of structured settlements to fund ABLE Accounts • Friday, April 3: Conference call with Congressman Danny Davis, D-Illinois and Yul Edwards, the Congressman’s Chief of Staff to discuss political events and activities 1 • Friday, April 3: Meeting with Joel Bailey, Chief of Staff in the Office of Congressman Jimmy Panetta, D-California to discuss HR. 4161 and the problems with the direct payment option language, Note: We met on separate park benches at the U.S. Capitol • Monday, April 6: Call with Chay English, Chief of Staff in the Office of Congresswoman Terri Sewell, D-Alabama to discuss the Congressional Structured Settlements Caucus • Monday, April 6: Call with Mike Dankler, Chief of Staff in the Office of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, R-Indiana to discuss the Congressional Structured Settlements Caucus and HR. 4161 • Tuesday, April 7: Videoconference with Curtis Rhyne, Legislative Director in the Office of Congressman George Holding, R-North Carolina and Matt Stross, Tax Counsel in the Congressman’s Office to discuss HR. 1814 the “ABLE Age Adjustment Act” • Tuesday, April 7: Call with Todd Adams, Chief of Staff in the Office of Congressman Jim Langevin, D-Rhode Island to discuss amendment language to HR. 1814 to provide specific legislative guidance to allow structured settlements to fund ABLE Accounts • Wednesday, April 8: Conference call with Erik Kinney, Legislative Director and Ben Steinhafel, Legislative Assistant in the Office of Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner to discuss the FECA program at the Department of Labor • Wednesday, April 8: Call with Tiffany Smith, Senior Tax Policy Advisor on the Senate Finance Committee to discuss S.651 legislation co-sponsored by Senator Ron Wyden • Wednesday, April 8: Monday, March 9: Meeting with Chad Bolt the new Tax Policy Advisor in the Office of Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio to discuss economic issues related to abusive Pay Day lending and State SSPA laws dealing with factoring transactions • Wednesday, April 8: Conference call with Jeremy Hekhuis, Legislative Director and Abigail Duggan, Deputy Legislative Director in the Office of Senator Sherrod Brown to discuss the use of structured settlements to fund ABLE Accounts • Wednesday, April 8: Call with Mike Harney, Chief of Staff in the Office of Senator Mark Warner, D-Virginia to discuss plans for a virtual meeting with the Senator in place of the political event scheduled on April 28 in Washington, D.C. • Friday, April 10: Virtual breakfast meeting with Senator Chris Van Hollen, D- Maryland and Tricia Russell, the Senator’s Chief of Staff to discuss economic stimulus proposals under consideration for a Phase IV Coronavirus economic stimulus bill • Friday, April 10: Call with Jillian Plank, Chief of Staff in the Office on Congressman Devin Nunes to discuss White House plans to establish a new “Opening our Country Council,” to express structured settlement industry interest in joining the Council. 2 .
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