Premier Ewart Brown leaves Washington today believing proposed US legislation that could harm the Island's reinsurance industry does not have the necessary support to be enacted.

Should it become law, the Neal bill, proposed last year by Democratic Representative Richard Neal, would increase the amount of US tax paid by many Bermuda insurance groups with subsidiaries based in the US.

After a slew of meetings with members of the US Congress and White House staff over the past two days, Dr. Brown said he had found significant opposition to the bill.

"I get the distinct impression that the Neal bill does not have the support to get through," Dr. Brown told The Royal Gazette last night.

"More than a few members of Congress said they had no intention of supporting the bill, because they don't think it's good for Bermuda, or good for the US."

Senator Carl Levin has proposed legislation echoing the Neal bill in the US Senate.

Bermuda's argument against the legislation is that it would reduce reinsurance capacity for the US and drive up the cost of premiums for consumers.

Three weeks ago an economic analysis by the Brattle Group concluded the impact of the proposed legislation would increase US consumers' insurance bills by $10 billion to $12 billion annually.

Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Paula Cox, also part of the Island delegation, said: "The key issue that resonated for Members was the impact of proposed changes because it could drive up the cost of insurance to American consumers.

"It is important that we continue to tell the Bermuda story on Capitol Hill. Members of Congress valued our input."

Dr. Brown said the two-day visit for the fourth annual bilateral talks in the US capital had been "fruitful", adding: The end product is that I will leave Washington confident that both the legislative and the executive branches of the US Government are familiar with Bermuda and with our concerns."

Yesterday, Dr. Brown said he visited the White House twice. In the morning, he spoke with Michael Strautmanis, chief of staff to Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to President Obama.

Later in the day, he spoke with "a high-level White House counsel", whom he was not at liberty to name.

On Tuesday the Bermuda delegation met with five members of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee Representatives Kendrick Meek, Danny Davis, Mike Thompson, Joe Crowley and Chairman Charles Rangel.

According to a Government press release, Mr. Rangel reaffirmed his belief that it is unfair to label Bermuda as a tax haven. Bermuda has had a tax information exchange agreement with the United States for more than 20 years.

The delegation also met on Tuesday with Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, Sub-committee on the Western Hemisphere chairman Eliot Engel of New York and Democratic Caucus Deputy Whip Rep. GK Butterfield, of North Carolina.