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Home / Archives / News Archive 2003 / S.724 Status: Committee votes in favor
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S.724 Status: Committee votes in favor |
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2003 Archived News by TRA/NAR Joint Task Force
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Thursday, June 19, 2003 |
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WORLD WIDE WEB — The following report for Thursday, June 19, 2003, 6 PM EDT, was provided by John Kyte, Congressional Liaison for the NAR and TRA:
A Hatch-Kohl substitute to the Enzi bill (S 724) was voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning on a vote of 16 yeas, 2 nays, and one pass. The committee voted 16-2 in favor of the amended S. 724. Senators Charles Schumer, D-New York., and Larry Craig, R-Idaho, voted against the bill. The bill will now be placed on the Senate calendar and subject to consideration by the Senate as a whole on the Senate floor. We are working closely with Sen. Enzi and others to determine the best strategy and timing for that event.
TRA and NAR did not take an official position on the Hatch-Kohl substitute.
As expected, the bill as voted out contains a weight limit of .9 pounds of APCP propellant per motor for unpermitted purchases and possession of up to 25 pounds of APCP propellant without a storage requirement. As noted last night, while sport rocketry enthusiasts may not be happy with this result, it is important to note that our issue remains alive and some progress has been made in raising the existing propellant weight limit of 62.5 grams.
Senator Larry Craig, a cosponsor of S 724, voted against the Hatch-Kohl substitute bill and spoke out against the need for a substitute. He noted that APCP is not explosive, that hobby rocketry has a 30 year history of safety, and that ATF's position on this issue is unwarranted and unscientific. In response, Chairman Hatch and Sen. Leahy, the ranking Democrat who supported the substitute, both said they understood Sen. Craig's concerns, and did not disagree with him, but specifically said that without a compromise the bill would have died in Committee.
The Judiciary Committee vote positions the bill well for passage in the full Senate, but much work remains to be done, and we will keep you apprised of developments and opportunities for active participation.
In addition, Sen. Craig's welcome, accurate and courageous remarks set a solid tone for seeking a different bill in the House that, if passed by that body, could then go to conference with the Senate bill where we may be able to obtain a better end result. We will meet tomorrow with the staffers of Sen. Enzi and Rep. Calvert to discuss Senate floor strategy and timing, and the drafting of legislation in the House of Representatives.
We are also developing a definitive, fully-documented response to the DOJ/ATF "Views" letter distributed to Senators last week. A thorough, scientific, documented rebuttal is critical to our success in the full Senate and in the House.
Sen. Enzi and his Legislative Aide Candice Cotton worked incredibly hard defending hobby rocketry and they deserve the praise and thanks of all TRA and NAR members. This fight is not over, and we have very strong and loyal allies in Sen. Enzi and his staff.
We will meet tomorrow with the staffers of Sen. Enzi and Rep. Calvert to discuss Senate floor strategy and timing, and the drafting of legislation in the House of Representatives. We will need to shore up all who voted in favor of the substitute bill so that we lock in their votes on the floor.
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