The resignation of Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., from Congress willprobably have little effect on the insurance industry's legislativeagenda, according to one expert in the field.

Although Mr. Foley was a member of the key House Ways and MeansCommittee, he did not play a significant role in the industry'sefforts, according to J. Robert Hunter, director of insurance forthe Consumer Federation of America.

“I don't think it was great,” Mr. Hunter said of Mr. Foley'swork on insurance measures. “I don't remember anything, except fordisaster insurance, and most of the Florida delegation was pushingthat.”

Last year Mr. Foley introduced legislation in the House to allowinsurers to establish tax-deductible reserves for catastrophicevents. That bill, HR 2668, was referred to the Ways and MeansCommittee, but was never acted on.

One bill he introduced that was passed into law was HR 1134. Themeasure excludes payments made to property owners by governmentprograms such as the National Flood Insurance Program from beingcounted part of their taxable gross income.

Mr. Foley did not appear to rely heavily on insurance industrycontributions. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, anonpartisan organization that tracks campaign donations, noproperty and casualty insurers or associations were among the top20 donors to Mr. Foley, with Columbus, Ga.-based AFLAC the onlyinsurer among the top contributors.

The Center's Web site, which contains data collected from theFederal Election Commission that was made public on Monday, showedthat industry groups that had donated to Mr. Foley's campaignduring the 2004 election cycle had decreased their contribution orstopped giving altogether for the 2006 election.

Among them were the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers ofAmerica, which reduced their donation from $8,000 in 2004 to $6,500in 2006, and the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America,which did not repeat its $1,000 donation from the 2004 race.

The Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, which had donated$5,000 to Mr. Foley's 2004 campaign, was also among those not torepeat their donation.

For the 2006 race, the National Association of Mutual InsuranceCompanies donated $2,000 to Mr. Foley's campaign through theirpolitical action committee, and the National Association ofInsurance and Financial Advisors donated $5,000, half of their 2004contribution.

A number of other insurers, including AIG, Fireman's Fund andMutual of Omaha, had also contributed to Mr. Foley's campaign in2004 through their own PACs. In total, Mr. Foley had amassed almost$600,000 in PAC contributions for the 2006 election, and over$800,000 including individual donors.