Dear Boating Colleagues,                                                                  May 23, 2008

 

            Thank you for your continued dedication to getting federal legislation passed so that recreational boats get a permanent exemption from the impending EPA discharge permit.  As you know, without legislation all vessels will be required to get an EPA permit for “normal operational” discharges by 9/30/08 or face the possibility of Clean Water Act lawsuits and fines.

 

A lot of good things have happened in the last 2 weeks.  I want to share them with you, and help you know what lies ahead: 

• First, on May 15, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved H.R. 5949 “The Clean Boating Act of 2008.”  This bill, introduced by Rep. LaTourette (R-OH) only fifteen days prior, has the same language as S. 2766, “The Clean Boating Act of 2008,” introduced in March by Senators Boxer (D-CA) and Nelson (D-FL).  The House bill was voted out of the Committee without amendment and is headed to a full House vote.

• Second, on May 21, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted on S. 2766 “The Clean Boating Act of 2008,” and passed it out of Committee without amendment.  This bill is now headed to a full Senate vote.
• These are both FANTASTIC developments, and it means we’ve jumped two big hurdles in the last two weeks – hurdles we could not have jumped without your loud grassroots voices!

 

Where does that leave us?

We still have a long way to go, and we still need help – all we can muster - to pass this legislation for recreational boating. 

• Time is running out – the permit deadline is in about four months.  Congress has a week recess for Memorial Day and July 4, and four weeks recess in August.  
• There are Members of Congress concerned about small commercial vessels, and trying to also get them exempt from the EPA permit.  We understand that the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will be hosting a hearing on this topic, separate from our bills.  Any expansion of S. 2766/H.R. 5949 to include commercial vessels could severely hamper the odds of passing these bills, so we hope that the commercial conversations continue as a separate item.  
• We need to get S. 2766/H.R. 5949 to a full Senate and full House vote during June or July.  
• We need more cosponsors on the bills, and we need to secure more YES votes on behalf of recreational boating from both Senators and Representatives.

 

So what can you do?

• Even if you have already contacted your Senators and Representative on this topic in the last year, you need to do it again!
• Do you know your Members of Congress personally?  If so, you have a prime opportunity near Memorial Day to talk with them.  Congress is headed home May 23-June 3.  If you see them, ask them to co-sponsor and vote YES for the Recreational Boating Act of 2007 (S. 2766/H.R. 5949). 
• Remember HR 2550 “The Recreational Boating Act of 2007” introduced last year by Reps. Taylor (D-MS) and Miller (R-MI)?  That bill currently has 93 cosponsors, but the bill is now dormant since it’s been overtaken by H.R. 5949 (with 7 sponsors).  We need help converting the cosponsors of HR 2550 over to be cosponsors on H.R. 5949.  Want to see the list of 93 cosponsors of last year’s bill?  Click here:  http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR02550:@@@P
• Please email or call your 3 Members of Congress in the next two weeks.  To quickly do this visit http://www.boatblue.org/takeaction.aspx
• Here’s your simplified message:  I’d like to ask Senator or Representative X to help recreational boating in our state and all over the country, by voting YES, and cosponsoring S. 2766/H.R. 5949 “The Clean Boating Act of 2008.”
• For more information visit www.boatus.org/gov and www.boatblue.org.
• If you get feedback from Members of Congress, please share it with us at govtaffairs@boatus.com so we know the latest.
• Share this information with your boating club, fishing group, marina, and anyone you know who uses a boat.  We need a huge volume of support to move Congress quickly in the right direction.

 

Thanks so much for your continued help!  Hope your weekend is full of good boating,

 

Margaret Podlich

Vice President Government Affairs

BoatU.S.