Political Quotes

“Madam President, I wish to express my opposition to S. 89 because it exempts certain vessels--actually one specific vessel called the Delta Queen--from current fire retardant construction standards and, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, represents ``an unacceptable degree of fire safety risk. . . . '' Maritime history has numerous examples of catastrophic on-board fires followed by the passage--or attempted passage--of laws designed to improve safety and protect passengers and crew. In response to the sinking of the RMS Titanic, in 1914, the International Maritime Organization, IMO, prescribed emergency equipment and safety procedures IMO-flagged ships were required to have in place. The 1934 fire on the SS Morro Castle prompted the adoption of multiple Federal safety regulations, including the use of fire retardant construction materials. A series of fires aboard international passenger ships in the early 1960s prompted the U.S. to enact the Safety of Life at Sea Act, SOLAS, which mandated that ``no passenger vessel of the United States shall be granted a certificate of inspection [. . .] unless the vessel is constructed of fire-retardant materials.'' Congress delayed the implementation of the SOLAS mandate first until 1968, then until 1970, then again until 1973, but only for U.S. passenger vessels operating on inland rivers.…”