The election of Democratic majorities in the House and Senate in November could boost the chances of extending the federal terrorism insurance backstop, according to Washington observers.

The US-based Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc. says: “Issues to be bipartisan in nature, and therefore we look forward to working with whichever party is in power at any given time,” said Terry Fleming, a member of the New York-based group's board

“However, tort reform initiatives will move to the back burner-if not entirely off the stove-while the direction of insurance regulatory reform could veer from the marketoriented changes favored by insurers and risk managers.”