The American Council of Life Insurers congratulates President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on their inauguration today.
What a historic moment for our nation! We inaugurated our oldest president and our first female vice president. And we did so under very different circumstances than normal with the safety and security precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and this month’s attack at the U.S. Capitol.
I distinctly remember the first inauguration I attended. In 1981, my best friend and I were in our first jobs out of college, working as junior staffers for a member of Congress. He and his wife didn’t need their two seats on the Capitol lawn very close to the stage for President Ronald Reagan’s ceremony. So, they held a staff drawing, and my friend won! She took me, and I’ll never forget it.
Another especially memorable inauguration was in 2009 when Barack Obama became our first African American President. I wanted my children, then in 2nd & 6th grade, to experience this historic moment firsthand. So, we spent the night before in my office downtown, and then got up and out the door at 5:30 a.m. to beat the massive crowds. I made a memory box with Obama inaugural memorabilia that they can share with their own children someday.
The pageantry, patriotism and celebration of our democratic process are something to behold.
Today was the first inauguration I’ve missed since 1989, when I was living in Des Moines, Iowa, and couldn’t attend President George H.W. Bush’s ceremony. I watched today from home as we begin a new chapter in our nation’s history. The life insurance industry looks forward to working with the Biden administration and the 117th Congress for bipartisan policy solutions that address the financial protection and retirement security challenges facing so many. America’s life insurers are committed to helping individuals and families regardless of where and how they work, their life stage, or the economic status of their household.
We extend this commitment to engaging and working purposefully with our nation’s elected leaders as they endeavor to build a strong, caring economy for all.
Susan K. Neely was President and CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), the nation’s leading trade association determined to help families live better lives by achieving financial security and certainty. As president and CEO, Neely drove public policy and advocacy on behalf of ACLI’s member companies that represent 93 percent of industry assets and serve 90 million families. She is CEO Emeritus through December, 2024.
