Robert Lewis
Robert Lewis

Robert Lewis has joined the American Council of Life Insurers to lead its lobbying effort on the financial services front.

He joins the nearly 300-member company group from the Financial Services Institute, where he led government relations as VP for legislative and political affairs.

Earlier, Lewis was aide to former Georgia Congressman Zell Miller (R) and staffer at the House Judiciary Committee and Financial Executives International.

ACLI has been active in its effort to support the traditional state-by-state oversight of the life insurance sector.

In April, it backed a bill to clarify the Dodd-Frank Act's provision that exempts members from oversight by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a measure to install a state insurance commissioner as a voting member of the Financial Stability Oversight Council.

Former Idaho Governor/Senator Dirk Kempthorne heads the ACLI, which covers 95 percent of the assets in life insurance, annuities, retirement plans, disability income insurance, long-term care and dental/vision benefits.