For Immediate Release
November 7, 2012

Washington, D.C. – America’s Health Insurance Plans’ (AHIP) President and CEO Karen Ignagni today released the following statement on the election:   

“We congratulate President Barack Obama and members of Congress in both parties for winning their elections.  Health plans are committed to working with policymakers to make coverage more affordable, promote choice and competition, and maintain a strong safety net for our nation's most vulnerable populations.

"As the health care reform law is implemented, policymakers must prioritize affordability for consumers and employers. Several provisions in the law, such as the new premium tax, minimum coverage requirements, and age rating restrictions, need to be addressed to keep coverage as affordable as possible and ensure broad participation in the system.

“The nation must also address the soaring cost of medical care that is driving up the cost of coverage, taking up a greater share of federal and state budgets, and threatening the long-term solvency of our nation’s public safety net programs.  Health plans will continue to do their part by partnering with providers to reward quality care, promoting prevention and wellness, and helping patients and physicians manage chronic disease.”

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Providing Health Benefits for Over 200 Million Americans.

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American Farm Bureau Federation

November 7, 2012

Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, issued the following statement:

“The American Farm Bureau Federation congratulates President Barack Obama on his re-election, as well as those candidates elected to serve during the 113th session of Congress. A number of important issues lie ahead of us, both for our nation, and for American agriculture. It is vital that, under the president’s leadership, all our elected officials come together in a bipartisan fashion to resolve the challenges we face.

“Farmers and ranchers, like all Americans, have a list of issues that they are relying on the administration and Congress to address. But we cannot wait until 2013 for the action to start. Serious work on the farm bill, the fiscal cliff and critical tax policy fixes all must start during the lame duck session of the 112th Congress.

“Farm Bureau also looks forward to working in a cooperative and positive manner with the Obama administration and the new Congress on issues such as turning around our economy, ensuring agriculture an adequate labor supply, pursuing a trade agenda focused on reducing barriers and expanding exports and the continued fiscal challenges we face as a nation. There are many points of view on these issues, but we also know that our elected leaders have one thing in common: each ran on a platform to make America better and improve this country for all Americans.

“We will do our part to help identify opportunities for cooperation, not only to improve the lives of Farm Bureau members and their rural communities, but for all Americans proudly served by our farm and ranch families.”

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American Petroleum Institute


WASHINGTON, November 7, 2012 – API President and CEO Jack Gerard congratulated President Obama on his re-election, saying he looks forward to continuing API’s work with the administration to expand domestic oil and natural gas as major pathway for job creation and economic growth:

"Americans have made their decision. We look forward to continuing our work with the president and helping him fulfill his campaign promise to increase domestic oil and natural gas production that will create American jobs and strengthen our economy. With both candidates supporting more development of America’s vast oil and natural gas resources, energy is a big winner in this election.

“Right off the bat, the president can approve the Keystone Pipeline and put thousands of Americans to work immediately. He can acknowledge the effective role states are already playing in regulating oil and natural gas production and avoid the temptation to impose duplicative and unnecessary regulations on hydraulic fracturing. By following through on his own executive order to eliminate overly burdensome regulations, he can rein in EPA’s plans to impose regulatory burdens that could cost businesses hundreds of billions of dollars and chill economic growth.

“The domestic energy from shale boom is just beginning. We have an unprecedented opportunity to work together to create millions of new jobs, generate hundreds of billions of dollars for our government, and strengthen our energy and national security. With the right public policies, this could be a game changer for America.”

API is a national trade association that represents all segments of America’s technology-driven oil and natural gas industry. Its more than 500 members – including large integrated companies, exploration and production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses, and service and supply firms – provide most of the nation’s energy. The industry also supports 9.2 million U.S. jobs and 7.7 percent of the U.S. economy, delivers $86 million a day in revenue to our government, and, since 2000, has invested over $2 trillion in U.S. capital projects to advance all forms of energy, including alternatives.

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Mortgage Bankers Association

November 7, 2012

Washington, DC – November 7, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released the following statement reacting to the re-election of President Barack Obama.

“The Mortgage Bankers Association congratulates President Obama on his re-election and looks forward to continuing to work with the administration on efforts to revitalize the real estate and mortgage markets. We encourage the President and Congress to work in a bi-partisan, cooperative manner so continued progress can be made on the critical issues our nation continues to face.

“We are at a very delicate time in a fragile housing recovery, and government and regulatory policies around housing need to be carefully thought out, in a comprehensive manner, ever-mindful of the way new programs, rules and regulations intersect with each other.

“That is why we are renewing our call on the President to appoint a federal housing policy coordinator to act as a ‘traffic cop’, not to make rules and policies, but rather to ensure a coordinated housing policy where federal and regulatory agencies are effectively talking to each other as the rulemakings and policies are proposed and adopted in order to ensure that they complement each other.

“We applaud this administration for the work that has been done to help borrowers in need and to establish rules to protect consumers from abusive lending practices. It is now critical that we build upon that progress in a balanced way that will protect current and future borrowers, while still giving qualified consumers access to the credit they need. Investment in, and financing of, real estate remains a crucial building block for this nation’s economy.

“MBA supports efforts that protect consumers without cutting off the supply of mortgage credit through burdensome regulation and exposure to litigation. We will work with the Obama administration to ensure that policymakers understand the nature of the tradeoffs involved in various regulatory and legislative efforts.

“Economic growth must be an overarching goal of the President’s second term, and our industry is committed to being a productive partner with all policymakers to ensure that rules are put in place that will foster safe, sustainable investment in real estate.”

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The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is the national association representing the real estate finance industry, an industry that employs more than 280,000 people in virtually every community in the country. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the association works to ensure the continued strength of the nation’s residential and commercial real estate markets; to expand homeownership and extend access to affordable housing to all Americans. MBA promotes fair and ethical lending practices and fosters professional excellence among real estate finance employees through a wide range of educational programs and a variety of publications. Its membership of over 2,200 companies includes all elements of real estate finance: mortgage companies, mortgage brokers, commercial banks, thrifts, Wall Street conduits, life insurance companies and others in the mortgage lending field. For additional information, visit MBA’s Web site: www.mortgagebankers.org.

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National Telecommunications Cooperative Association

November 7, 2012
Contact: Laura Withers
               Wendy Mann

Arlington, Va. (November 7, 2012) – The National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA) today issued the following statement from Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield regarding the re-election of President Barack Obama and leadership changes in the House and Senate.

“I congratulate President Obama and all of the victorious House and Senate candidates on their successful bids for public office. With a second term secured, we look forward to President Obama and his administration redoubling efforts to move our country forward by embracing policies that both innovate and build upon proven track records to create jobs and grow our economy. Technology is key in our continued economic recovery, but this recovery will succeed only if we ensure that all Americans can participate through access to affordable, high-quality communications services. As we embark on the next four years, I urge policymakers to seek innovative and practical solutions that recognize the significance of universal broadband access to our country and to reject initiatives that both trade off services in rural areas and depend upon untested and experimental measures, or that undermine the efforts of small telecom providers that have taken the lead in deploying rural broadband.”

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The National Telecommunications Cooperative Association is the premier association representing more than 580 locally owned and controlled telecommunications cooperatives and commercial companies throughout rural and small-town America. NTCA provides its members with legislative, regulatory and industry representation; meetings; publications and educational programs; and an array of employee benefit programs. Visit us at www.ntca.org.

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Stop the HIT Coalition

November 7, 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 7, 2012) – The Stop The HIT Coalition, a bipartisan group supporting small business, issued the following statement on the re-election of President Barack Obama for a second term:

“Now that the elections are behind us, it is time for Washington to get back to work and remove prohibitive taxes and costs on our job creators,” said Amanda Austin, Director of Federal Public Policy, National Federation of Independent Business. “The need to repeal the Health Insurance Tax (HIT) on small business has received high bipartisan support during the 112th Congress with legislation  in the House gaining 226 cosponsors and with companion legislation in the Senate. We encourage President Obama to make good on his praise of small business during the campaign by working with the new Congress to repeal this tax which is already holding back hiring at the small business level.”

One of the largest tax increases included in the healthcare reform law, the HIT will fall largely on the small business community:

• The HIT will impact 2 million small businesses, 12 million employees and the self-employed who purchase their own policy in the individual market and 26 million employees who are covered by their employers;
• Studies show, on average, the HIT will cost each family about $500 a year or $5,000 in higher premiums over the decade;
• The HIT would reduce private sector employment by between 125,000 and 249,000 jobs in 2021; and
• The HIT would reduce U.S. real output (sales) in 2021 by between $18 billion and $30 billion.

The Stop The HIT Coalition represents the nation’s small business owners, their employees and the self-employed who are actively working to repeal the Health Insurance Tax. Since the Coalition’s formation last May, it has grown to include more than 35 national organizations, representing millions of small business owners across the country.  The  Coalition’s website enables small business owners and employees to sign a petition and write a letter to their Representatives in Washington, urging them to repeal this tax.