Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman, and I appreciate working with him and many others here in the Chamber today to address this bill. Mr. Speaker, why are we here? What would this bill do? H.R. 1961 would reinstate--and backdate to 2008--an exemption from commonsense fire safety standards for one single vessel. On its face, this bill is deeply troubling from a public safety perspective. I can appreciate the desire to keep and preserve the historic Delta Queen; but that should be done by the private market, not by Congress, and it should not be done in a way that jeopardizes public safety. Reinstating the expired exemption would distort basic principles of the free market and competition because all other vessels operating as overnight passenger cruise vessels are built to appropriate fire safety standards. These are investments made by U.S. manufacturers and U.S. tour companies alike. Doing the right thing and building or refurbishing to code should not be obstructed by an unprecedented 15- year exemption for a single boat while it is reportedly going through a sale. I urge Members to examine what this measure would do to public safety, what it would do to competition in the marketplace, and remind them we can protect public safety and protect jobs by voting ``no'' on H.R. 1961.”