NHTSA Lobby Ban Supported
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10NR20 - MRF News Release - Lobby Ban Supported
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1 July 2010
Contact: Jeff Hennie, Government Relations and Public Affairs
Lobby Ban Supported
Washington DC
Today, 5 Members of the House of Representatives introduced a resolution that "supports efforts to retain the ban on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's ability to lobby state legislatures using federal tax dollars and urging NHTSA to focus on crash prevention and rider education".
The ban is current Federal law, the resolution simply supports the lobby ban and puts the Obama Administration on notice that this is an important law and should remain in place.
There is recent activity to support the fact that the current Administration would like the ability back to lobby state legislatures. At a hearing, Obama's NHTSA chief, Mr. Strickland, has said the motorcycle helmet use will be the core of NHTSA's approach to motorcycle safety. He went on to say that "anything the Congress does that would support the movement of riders into helmets would produce the desired effect of safety."
So, we are pleased that Representatives Sensenbrenner (WI), Ryan (WI), Rehberg (MT), Lanborn (CO), and Petri (WI) have all sponsored H Res 1498 today, and the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) hopes more of their colleagues will follow suit. The bill is a direct result of the MRF's spring ride to the capitol known as Bikers Inside the Beltway. A group from ABATE of Wisconsin brought this issue up with Congressman Sensenbrenner and he agreed to do the resolution.
Prior to 1996, NHTSA could and did send paid staff to State legislatures, uninvited, to testify in favor of State helmet laws. This irked the constituents and Members of Congress, who felt that it was a waste of tax payer money. They felt that the feds should not be able to use taxpayer moneys against the will of the taxpayers. So, Congress passed a law that forbids NHTSA staff from entering state assemblies uninvited. Sensenbrenner led the charge back in ’96.
He had this to say about the issue "It is the job of Congress to defend the freedom and individual responsibilities that motorcycle riders across the nation enjoy as they travel the open roads of America," Congressman Sensenbrenner said. "Mr. Strickland's plan greatly concerns me as it is not the job of the federal government to create one-size-fits-all helmet laws. Mr. Strickland appears to be intent on pursuing all means possible to enact mandatory helmet laws, either at the federal level or by violating the principles of the 10th Amendment and bullying the States into enacting mandatory helmet laws."
Lawmakers want federal traffic safety agency to focus on crash prevention
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Posted July 1, 2010 Email Print
U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) has introduced a resolution urging the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to concentrate on motorcycle crash prevention and rider education instead of lobbying state lawmakers to enact mandatory helmet laws.
The resolution is in response to a statement made by NHTSA Administrator David Strickland in May reemphasizing Congressional testimony he gave in March when he stated that the core component of NHTSA's motorcycle safety plan is to increase helmet use and "anything the Congress does that would support the movement of riders into helmets would be efficacious of safety."
On April 2, AMA Senior Vice President for Government Relations Ed Moreland sought a clarification of Strickland's comments. The letter can be read here: AmericanMotorcyclist.com/legisltn/documents/Strickland_Olver_Appropriations_3-25-10.pdf. Strickland's response can be read here: AmericanMotorcyclist.com/legisltn/documents/Strickland_Response_Helmet_5-24-10.pdf.
The resolution -- H. Res. 1498, which was introduced on July 1 -- supports efforts to retain a federal ban on the agency from using taxpayer dollars to lobby state and local legislators. Reps. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Tom Petri (R-Wis.) co-sponsored the measure.
The anti-lobbying language was originally written into the Transportation Equity Act approved by Congress in 1998.
"It is the job of Congress to protect the rights of the states and also the freedom and individual responsibilities that motorcycle riders across the nation enjoy as they travel the open roads of America," Sensenbrenner said.
The AMA's Moreland thanked Sensenbrenner for his efforts.
"The key to reducing motorcycle injuries and fatalities is found in the implementation of strategies that prevent the likelihood of a crash from happening in the first place," Moreland said. "We are pleased to see that Rep. Sensenbrenner and his colleagues who back his resolution are mindful of the importance of motorcycle crash prevention, and the pursuit of rider education as a primary means to reduce injuries and save lives," he said.
Sensenbrenner's resolution notes that federal law currently states: "No funds appropriated to the secretary for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shall be available for any activity specifically designed to urge a state or local legislator to favor or oppose the adoption of any specific legislative proposal pending before any state or local legislative body."
The resolution also states that federal lawmakers support efforts to retain the lobbying ban, encourages continued growth in motorcycling, recognizes the importance of motorcycle crash prevention, and encourages the traffic safety agency to focus on crash prevention and rider education "as the most significant priorities in motorcycle safety."