House votes on H.R.1961 on September 25, 2013

Though there is still a long way to go for the Delta Queen to return to the rivers as a cruise ship, passing of bill H.R. 1961 in the House of Representatives is a major step in this direction. On Wednesday, September 25th 2013, the House has approved the bill that would grant the historic Delta Queen a 15 years exemption from a fire-retardant materials construction requirement.

The House voted 280 to 89 in favor of the Delta Queen with almost all Republicans voting with “yea”, while Democrats voted 82 to 84 against the bill.

The bill still has to pass Senate, where the Democrat Senator Sherrod Brown [D-Ohio] leeds the efforts which co-sponsors Sens. Rob Portman [R-Ohio], Mary Landrieu [D-La.], and David Vitter [R-La.]. After passing the Senate as expected by Delta Queen supporters, the bill eventually has to be signed by President Barack Obama who as a Senator had been supportive of the Delta Queen exemption back in 2008/2009 but didn’t actively support the case while running for president.

The motion in the House has been led by Rep. Steve Chabot of Cincinnati, who has been fighting for the Delta Queen for years, eventually being successful now. The bill has been co-sponsored by 22 more representatives: Rep Beatty, Joyce [OH-3], Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1], Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9], Rep Enyart, William L. [IL-12], Rep Fudge, Marcia L. [OH-11], Rep Gibbs, Bob [OH-7], Rep Johnson, Bill [OH-6], Rep Jordan, Jim [OH-4], Rep Joyce, David P. [OH-14], Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9], Rep Latta, Robert E. [OH-5], Rep Luetkemeyer, Blaine [MO-3], Rep Massie, Thomas [KY-4], Rep McKinley, David B. [WV-1], Rep Renacci, James B. [OH-16], Rep Richmond, Cedric L. [LA-2], Rep Ryan, Tim [OH-13], Rep Stivers, Steve [OH-15], Rep Tiberi, Patrick J. [OH-12], Rep Turner, Michael R. [OH-10], Rep Wenstrup, Brad R. [OH-2], Rep Whitfield, Ed [KY-1]