[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 132 (Tuesday, October 18, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H8879-H8881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE SOUTH CAROLINA FARM BUREAU MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY ON 
                          ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY

  Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 300) recognizing the South 
Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company on the occasion of its 
50th anniversary and saluting the outstanding service of the Company to 
the people of South Carolina.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 300

       Whereas the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance 
     Company was organized on December 19, 1955, to provide 
     members of the Farm Bureau Federation with insurance coverage 
     that was difficult to obtain and to assist such members with 
     safety programs and loss control measures;
       Whereas the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance 
     Company is the largest domestic property and casualty insurer 
     in the State of South Carolina;
       Whereas the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance 
     Company has 245 employees and 250 exclusive licensed agents 
     throughout South Carolina that offer various insurance and 
     financial services;
       Whereas the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance 
     Company provides a diverse line of products, including auto, 
     homeowners, and other insurance coverage with sales exceeding 
     $190,000,000 on more than 344,000 policies;
       Whereas in 1999, after Hurricane Floyd struck the coast of 
     South Carolina, 90 percent of reported claims made with the 
     South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company were 
     settled within one week; and
       Whereas the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance 
     Company serves families of farmers and non-farmers in rural 
     and urban communities and the slogan of the Company is, 
     ``Helping you is what we do best'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes the 
     South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company on the 
     occasion of its 50th anniversary and salutes the outstanding 
     service of the Company to the people of South Carolina.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
South Carolina (Mr. Barrett) and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Barrett).


                             General Leave

  Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks on this legislation and to include extraneous 
material thereon.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from South Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from my home State of 
South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) for introducing this measure.
  The South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company motto is 
``Helping you is what we do best.'' They have been committed to that 
motto for the past five decades. During that time, the company has 
grown from serving South Carolina's agricultural community to becoming 
the State's largest domestic insurer. Today we recognize the company's 
accomplishment of providing outstanding service to the people of South 
Carolina for the past 50 years.
  As a coastal State, South Carolina has received its fair share of 
severe storms. When Hurricane Hugo devastating our State in 1989, the 
South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company was there to pick 
up the pieces, paying out more than $71 million in claims. Ten years 
later Hurricane Floyd slammed into our coast, and the company once 
again did a remarkable job helping us recover, settling 90 percent of 
its reported claims within 1 week.
  Madam Speaker, the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance 
Company has helped many South Carolinians through difficult times. It 
is no wonder the company received an excellent rating from the world's 
leading insurance rating agency.
  Again let me thank the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) for 
introducing this measure on behalf of the South Carolina Farm Bureau 
Mutual Insurance Company.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I too join with my colleagues, especially the 
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) in introducing House 
Resolution 300, in recognition of the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual 
Insurance Company.
  Madam Speaker, as a member of the Committee on Financial Services, I 
want to join with all of my colleagues in supporting this legislation 
that gives due recognition to the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual 
Insurance Company on its 50th anniversary.

                              {time}  1430

  I recognize the mutual insurance company both as a member of the 
Committee on Financial Services and as a member of the Committee on 
Agriculture, but Madam Speaker, even more so, I recognize South 
Carolina's Farm Bureau because I am a native of South Carolina, having 
been born on a farm in Aynor, South Carolina, raised in an agricultural 
community in the tobacco farming area. I have now fond memories, as I 
serve in Washington, often remembering my days of cropping and 
suckering and dragging and curing tobacco and then taking it to market 
in some of the areas around Mullins and Marion and Conway, South 
Carolina.
  On December 19, 1955, the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance 
Company was organized and began

[[Page H8880]]

selling greatly needed insurance products to farmers; and, today, the 
company is the largest domestic insurer in the State serving South 
Carolinians from many, many walks of life.
  The South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Company came along at a time 
when South Carolina farmers were looking for better options in the way 
of obtaining good insurance coverage that was also affordable. Five 
decades later, the company supplies a diversity of insurance products 
to South Carolinians from all walks of life.
  The weather-related disasters affecting the gulf coast, and now the 
new England area, gives us all evidence that mutual insurance companies 
are essential in helping communities rebuild. The South Carolina Farm 
Bureau Mutual Insurance Company faced a similar tragedy in 1989.
  That year, a category 4 hurricane named Hugo created over $7 billion 
in damage to the Palmetto State of South Carolina; and at the time, 
Hugo was the costliest hurricane in United States history. The mutual 
insurance company's staff worked days and worked nights, 24 hours a 
day, to help make sure its policyholders were dealt with and served 
correctly; and they settled over 16,264 claims.
  In 1999, Hurricane Floyd struck the coast of South Carolina. The 
South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company settled 90 percent 
of the reported claims within 1 week.
  Today, the South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Company has a 
presence in every county in the State of South Carolina, which is one 
reason why they are able to provide such timely and quality service.
  As its motto, ``Helping you is what we do best,'' suggests, the South 
Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Company has provided a wide range of 
financial services to the people of South Carolina for a half a 
century. Five decades of growth and successful development is a 
wonderful milestone that should be recognized not only by South 
Carolinians but by all of us throughout this entire Nation as well.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as 
he may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), the 
author of the resolution and a genuine friend of the farm bureau.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman 
from South Carolina (Mr. Barrett) for the time.
  Madam Speaker, I am honored to speak on behalf of H. Res. 300. I 
appreciate the leadership of the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. 
Barrett), my neighbor and long-time friend, for coordinating this 
resolution, along with the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott), our 
South Carolina-born friend.
  Henry Ford once said that ``quality means doing it right when no one 
is looking.''
  Today, I am honored to recognize a South Carolina company that 
epitomizes Mr. Ford's definition of quality service. For over 50 years, 
the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company has quietly 
built a distinguished record of providing quality products and 
excellent customer service to thousands of families across my home 
State.
  The company's story began in the 1950s when many residents of South 
Carolina simply could not have access to affordable insurance coverage. 
When disaster struck their homes or vehicles, they were unable to pay 
for the damages and often found themselves facing a financial crisis.
  On December 10, 1955, a group of innovative South Carolinians 
responded to the needs of citizens by establishing the South Carolina 
Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company.
  Today, South Carolina families have come to trust and rely upon the 
South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, led today by chief 
executive officer Phillip Love, for a diverse line of auto, homeowners 
and other insurance coverage.
  As the largest domestic property and casualty insurer in South 
Carolina, this company now employs almost 500 people and administers 
over 344,000 policies.
  After Hurricane Floyd devastated parts of our State in 1999, the 
South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company settled 90 percent 
of reported claims in 1 week. The company's excellent track record 
continues to prove that it epitomizes quality customer service.
  Today, I am honored to congratulate the South Carolina Farm Bureau 
Mutual Insurance Company on over 50 years of great accomplishment and 
wish the company continued success.
  I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 300.
  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
require to the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. 
Spratt).
  (Mr. SPRATT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. SPRATT. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me 
time.
  Madam Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from South Carolina 
(Mr. Barrett) for taking this initiative, and I want to join my other 
colleague from South Carolina in recognizing the South Carolina Farm 
Bureau Mutual Insurance Company on its 50th anniversary. Its motto is 
``Helping you is what we do best,'' and as that motto suggests, the 
South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Company has provided a wide range 
of financial services, insurance services to the people of our State 
for nearly a half century now.
  The South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Company came along at a time 
when farmers in our State were looking for better options in the way of 
obtaining good insurance coverage that was also affordable. Recognizing 
that need, the organizers of the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation 
went to work and secured a charter from the South Carolina Secretary of 
State on December 1, 1955. The result, five decades later, is a company 
that supplies a whole diversity of insurance products to South 
Carolinians from all walks of life, not just farmers. Among some of the 
services they provide are auto insurance, homeowners insurance, life 
insurance, as well as financial services such as banking, individual 
retirement accounts and credit cards.
  I was here in 1989, and I recall well the bedlam in our State after 
Hurricane Hugo struck in Charleston and then moved inward, coming all 
the way to Charlotte, North Carolina. The South Carolina Farm Bureau 
Insurance faced probably the biggest natural disaster in the history of 
our State except for the Charleston earthquake, and it faced the test 
of its ability to handle such a massive amount of claims, but it rose 
to the occasion. It settled some 16,000 claims and paid out more than 
$71 million.
  Then, in 1999, the South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Company was 
tested again. Hurricane Floyd struck our coast, and 90 percent of the 
reported claims were settled within 1 week, which would set a model, if 
not a record, for fast and expeditious claims management. It is no 
surprise then that this company has prospered and succeeded over the 
years.
  Today, the South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Company has a 
presence in every county in our State, and that is one reason they are 
able to provide such timely and quality service. Theirs has become a 
name that folks trust and know and feel comfortable with. I am proud of 
their service to our State. I rise to salute them, and I wish them the 
best as they celebrate their 50th anniversary and look to the future.
  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I want to close in 
saying I thank the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) for being 
the author of the resolution. There is no doubt that the South Carolina 
Farm Bureau Insurance Corporation has had a fantastic effect on every 
segment of South Carolina life. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 
300.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Barrett) that the 
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 300.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.

[[Page H8881]]

  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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