BIP Winter 2024

with them defensively: ‘Hey, this thing that you're proposing to do will have all these negative consequences. And we want to make sure you think about that before you pass it.’” The NABIP PAC Board of Trustees consists of the chair, vice chair, immediate past chair and representatives from each of NABIP’s regions, as well as three NABIP staff members. The board meets monthly to evaluate leadership status and viability among the key Senate and House committees relevant to NABIP’s interests and make any necessary changes to its budget accordingly. In the Senate, it's Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, Finance and Small Business. In the House, it's Energy & Commerce, Education & Workforce, Ways & Means and Small Business. “We have a good sense, every election cycle, that we will be giving to approximately this many people. And the party affiliation mix is a function of the election,” Haberman says. However, NABIP’s budget will not follow the exact makeup of Democratic versus Republican representation at any given time. “Not everybody who belongs to a party believes the same things. Even within parties, there's a great deal of breadth of opinion,” he adds. The most an individual can give to NABIP PAC’s candidate fund in a calendar year is $5,000. However,

way or the other. Otherwise, we're at the risk of whomever else is at that table.” Volunteerism and member engagement Clear rules delineate where the PAC can and cannot give money. No checks are ever delivered on federal property or to anyone in their official capacity. There are, however, fundraising events and mail-in opportunities across the country. Members of NABIP's Government Affairs team often deliver the funds, but the PAC also relies on members to attend local district events and give the money face-to-face. “It's satisfying for everybody to be able to hand that check to someone,” says Haberman. “You get to shake their hand, make that eye contact, have conversations — especially when it's done in-district.”

What we're trying to do is get people to see and understand the human impact of the decisions being made. They will know, ‘This group of people invest effort in helping me make the difference I'm trying to make as an elected official.’ And they can see that by looking at their donor list and who's visiting.” — JOSHUA HABERMAN “

NABIP’s PAC also has an administrative fund used to pay for the PAC’s expenses. You must be an active member of NABIP to be able to contribute to the PAC. “ It's a bit of a cliche, but it's absolutely true that we're helping to ensure we have a seat at the table,” says Magnuson. “So, when an issue comes up, we are one of the people there to tell them why we think they should side or work one

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