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The latest from Washington, D.C., impacting the insurance and financial services industries.

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While we should take the president-elect at his word and trust that he will do everything he can to ensure promises made will be promises kept, there are known unknowns.
Photo illustration of a bull posed against a background of rising financial charts. Markets-poised-for-continued-robust-returns.

Strong economic growth, moderating inflation, declining interest rates and easing monetary policy is leading to robust returns, Morningstar strategists said.
Image of President-elect Donald Trump standing beside health care information on the healthcare.gov website. What-will-a-new-Trump-presidency-do-for-health-care.

Health care is among the issues to be addressed during Trump’s second term, and although some of these issues will require congressional approval, the incoming president could make a number of changes through regulation or executive order.

WASHINGTON- The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Thursday by a quarter-point in response to the steady decline in the oncehigh inflation that had angered Americans and helped drive Donald Trump's presidential election victory this week. The Fed had kept its rate that high for more than a year to fight the worst inflation streak in four decades.

With any move by the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates Thursday on the heels of Donald Trump's election win, Connecticut's real estate market could get a needed booster shot. Sustaining any such gains could hinge on Trump's promise to improve U.S. home affordability and development, but details were scant during his campaign for the White House.
Illustration of the U.S. Capitol building with a large medical cross in the background. How-much-of-an-issue-in-the-election.

Health care has not been one of the central issues in the upcoming presidential and congressional elections. But Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has campaigned on health-related issues more than her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, has.
Image of a woman holding a packed of birth control pills. Biden-administration-proposes-expanding-coverage-for-birth-control-other-services.
Woman holds a packed of birth control pills.

The Biden administration proposed new rules that would, for the first time, require most group health plans and health insurance issuers to cover over-the-counter contraceptives without cost sharing or requiring a prescription.
Image of Sen. Cassidy standing in front of the US Capitol building. Sen-Cassidy-introduces-anti-ESG-investing-bill.
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), introduced a bill to prohibit asset managers from favoring environmental, social, and governance factors when evaluating people’s retirement plans.

The growing anti-ESG investing movement claimed a powerful ally last week when a bill to ban ESG consideration was introduced.

The ERISA Industry Committee released a new issue brief, “PBM Reform: Deem PBMs a “Fiduciary” Under ERISA,” calling for pharmacy benefit managers to be deemed a “fiduciary” under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.