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October 24, 2003 at 08:00 PM
NU Online News Service, Oct. 24, 2003, 1:35 p.m. EDT — Washington
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, criticized the life insurance industry Thursday for its opposition to language approved by his committee that would largely shut down the market for corporate-owned life insurance.
In an opening statement at a hearing on COLI, Grassley also criticized insurers for what he described as an apparent failure to maintain information about COLI sales.
The issue involves an amendment approved by the committee in September that would tax the death benefits on COLI policies covering workers who die more than one year after leaving employment. The amendment would exclude policies that cover key employees.
The amendment was sponsored by Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M.
During yesterday’s hearing, Grassley said the industry knew that Bingaman had a longstanding interest in this issue.
The Finance Committee staff asked the life insurance industry to try to work out a compromise, but the industry refused, Grassley said.
