I often heard it’s large 10” Lunkenheimer, whistle, which was made in Cincinnati. I also enjoyed hearing its steam calliope. Although we nearly lost the Delta Queen in 1970 due to a misinterpretation of the Safety at Sea Law, a campaign to Save the Queen prevailed and the Delta Queen was granted an exemption. Cincinnati continued as the home port of the Delta Queen through the 1970s and into the 1980s. Even when the home port was moved, the exemptions have always been granted until this year. I hope that President Elect Barack Obama can reverse Representative Oberstar’s decision.It has become clear that nothing we can do will convince the House leadership to take the bill out of committee and send it to the House floor. Congressman Steve Chabot’s bill to continue the Delta Queen’s 42-year exemption from the Safety of Life at Sea Act has been sitting in the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure since October 16, 2007.
Our only hope to save the Delta Queen now lies in the Senate.
Please contact both of your Senators and urge them to support legislation that will grant the Delta Queen a permanent exemption from the SOLAS regulations. Roughly one third of the Senate is up for re-election this year, and these ladies and gentlemen should be especially eager to respect the wishes of their constituents. These are the Senators who must campaign for their seats this year:
Alexander, Lamar- (R – TN)
455 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4944
Web Form: alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact….
Baucus, Max- (D – MT)
511 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2651
Web Form: baucus.senate.gov/contact/emailForm.cfm?subj=issue
Biden, Joseph R., Jr.- (D – DE)
201 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Chambliss, Saxby- (R – GA)
416 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3521
Web Form: chambliss.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactU…
Cochran, Thad- (R – MS)
113 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5054
Web Form: cochran.senate.gov/contact.htm
Coleman, Norm- (R – MN)
320 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5641
Web Form: coleman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Co…
Collins, Susan M.- (R – ME)
413 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2523
Web Form: collins.senate.gov/public/continue.cfm?FuseAction=Contact…
Cornyn, John- (R – TX)
517 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2934
Web Form: cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Con…
Dole, Elizabeth- (R – NC)
555 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6342
Web Form: dole.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactInformation.C…
Durbin, Richard- (D – IL)
309 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2152
Web Form: durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Enzi, Michael B.- (R – WY)
379A RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Graham, Lindsey- (R – SC)
290 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5972
Web Form: lgraham.senate.gov/index.cfm?mode=contact
Harkin, Tom- (D – IA)
731 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3254
Web Form: harkin.senate.gov/c/
Inhofe, James M.- (R – OK)
453 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4721
Web Form: inhofe.senate.gov/contactus.htm
Johnson, Tim- (D – SD)
136 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5842
Web Form: johnson.senate.gov/contact/
Kerry, John F.- (D – MA)
304 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2742
Web Form: kerry.senate.gov/v3/contact/email.html
Landrieu, Mary L.- (D – LA)
724 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5824
Web Form: landrieu.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Lautenberg, Frank R.- (D – NJ)
324 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3224
Web Form: lautenberg.senate.gov/contact/
Levin, Carl- (D – MI)
269 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6221
Web Form: levin.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
McConnell, Mitch- (R – KY)
361-A RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2541
Web Form: mcconnell.senate.gov/contact_form.cfm
Pryor, Mark L.- (D – AR)
255 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2353
Web Form: pryor.senate.gov/contact/
Reed, Jack- (D – RI)
728 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4642
Roberts, Pat- (R – KS)
109 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4774
Web Form: roberts.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactInf…
Rockefeller, John D., IV- (D – WV)
531 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Sessions, Jeff- (R – AL)
335 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Smith, Gordon H.- (R – OR)
404 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Stevens, Ted- (R – AK)
522 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3004
Web Form: stevens.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Em…
Sununu, John E.- (R – NH)
111 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2841
Web Form: www.sununu.senate.gov/webform.html
Warner, John- (R – VA)
225 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2023
Web Form: warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Con…
June 30th, 2008 at 10:15 am
[...] UPDATE: It has shown that the House Leadership will not be helpful in any way, so we’ve decided to change our strategy, now traing to get the exemption fo the Delta Queen through US Senate. Please read more about this here: http://www.save-the-delta-queen.org/senators-help-saving-the-delta-queen/ [...]
July 5th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Hi,
Thanks as always for all you hard work. I have written (again) to all the senators on your list. Nice that these are senators looking to be elected again. One exception, John Warner R-VA is retiring at the end of the current term.
August 16th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
[...] is only one way to save the Delta Queen! We need an exemption from the US Congress. Contact your Senators and urge them to support the exemption to save the Delta Queen. Senator George Voinovich of Ohio is [...]
October 25th, 2008 at 2:59 am
I live in Florida and am asking my Senaters to help keep the Delta Queen. We have enough unimployment now and this will only creat more loss jobs and income.
Please vote for a perminent exemption for the Delta Queen and save this Historic Landmark.
Yours Truly:
Keith A. Neal
October 25th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Please do not allow this important piece of American heritage to be destroyed. The Delta Queen deserves to keep and perpetuate its place in American history for generations to come.
October 27th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
“Fire Hazard” because of wooden construction is a laugh, considering that a major proportion of US domestic housing is of wood!
If this is an argument for moving her to a museum, then the same could be applied to request millions of US citizens to move out of their homes and tear them down.
Even here in Germany, where most private homes are of brick, the internal furnishings, floors, ceilings etc. include a lot of wood.
As an enthusiast of ships in general and one who has experienced and enjoyed river cruises, my opinion is:
as long as the boilers stand up to inspection, the hull is sound and the crew adequately skilled, the ship should be allowed to continue operating!
Gernot Hirsinger,
Berlin
Germany