Senator George Voinovich of Ohio has introduced a "Save the Delta Queen" bill in the U.S. Senate (bill no. S. 3498) to exempt her from the 1966 Safety at Sea Law. Support comes from at least eight other Senators, both Republicans and Democrats, and there are more to join in soon.

While this bill alone will not save the Delta Queen directly, it raises enormous attention and is an important step. Newspapers, TV and radio stations and blogs are reporting about the Save the Delta Queen efforts frequently and the number of media coverage increases every day now. What a momentum!

Please, ask your Senator for support!
Get on the phone, go to your Senator’s local offices, fire up your fax machines and urge your Senators to support and co-sponsor this important bill (S. 3498) to give the Delta Queen a chance to survive. Contact your local newspapers and TV stations to report about what it means to you and your community if the Delta Queen disappears forever. Even if you did contact your Senator before, give them an update and let them know about the bill no. S 3498.
You’ll find the contact information for your Senator at: www.senate.gov (in the upper right corner, just choose your state; phone numbers and addresses of your Senators will be listed).

The Delta Queen is safe!
Don’t forget to point out that all this is not about safety, because the Delta Queen in fact is a very safe boat. Detailed information about the Delta Queen’s safety can be found at deltaqueen.wordpress.com/deltaqueensafety/.

Already on the list of co-sponsors of bill S. 3498 are Senators …

• Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee)
• Evan Bayh (D-Indiana)
• Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)
• Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi)
• Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)
• Richard Lugar (R-Indiana)
• Barack Obama (D-Illinois)
• David Vitter (R-Louisiana)
  

Update Sept. 20:

• Thad Cochran (R-MS)
• Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
• Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
• Roger Wicker (R-MS)

Update Sept. 22:

• Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

In four states both Senators have joined in now:

• Ohio
• Iowa
• Indiana
• Mississippi

(We’ll be updating this list when new co-sponsors are signing up.)

You might also want to call these Senator’s offices to let them know how much you appreciate their support. They need to hear from all of us that they’re doing the right thing.

After a long period of struggles and doubts, I eventually do have the strong feeling that we can win this battle! The Delta Queen will be saved if we all work together. Please, contact your Senator right now. We don’t have much time to loose.

Thank you, Senator George Voinovich, for rolling up your sleeves and tackling this issue in the Senate!

We’re proud to present a wonderful new radio documentary about the Delta Queen. Cincinnati-based radio producer Mike Martini (WMKV-FM/Maple Knoll Communities, Inc.) made this comprehensive documentary about the Delta Queen to be run in September 2008 and gave the permission to air it here on save-the-delta-queen.org.

“Against the Current: The Plight of Paddlewheeler Delta Queen” is about the Delta Queen and the “Save the Queen” campaign and I can’t imagine a reason you don’t want to hear it – it’s just wonderful!

Mike Martini has also extendes permission to anyone who would like to air it on any radio station as long as it remains intact and unedited.  If a United States’ radio station would like a CD copy, let us know and we’ll forward your request to Mike; he’ll try and send one through the mail.

In case the above player doesn’t work on your computer, here are links to the pure MP3 files: part 1 – part 2.

Shawn J. Dake, a Delta Queen first-timer, rode the Delta Queen in October 2007 from Nashville to Tuscaloosa. His "Log of the Steamboat Delta Queen, Along the Southern Rivers" is showing like nothing else how much people fall in love with this boat from the first minute. It shows the full impact of removing the Delta Queen from the rivers, what it means to passengers, fans and the local businesses all along the rivers.

Shawn’s log, published at Maritime Matters, is worth reading for every Delta Queen lover — but as well for her opponents to get a feeling on what they’re about to destroy by ignoring the facts, by playing dirty political games, by just being ignorant or apathetic instead of doing the right thing and give this wonderful, historic and absolutely safe boat the well deserved exemption from the Safety at Sea Act.

The world is looking at America, the world is watching the US Congress allowing more than 80 years of American History being destroyed forever, the historic steamboat Delta Queen vanishing from our rivers. The whole world is watching? Yes, almost! I’ve just checked the www.save-the-delta-queen.org server statistics for the last 4 weeks and found visitors from the following countries:

• Canada
• Mexico
• Peru
• Panama
• Brazil
• Norway
• Finland
• Sweden
• Denmark
• Poland
• Germany
• Austria
• United Kingdom
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• Portugal
• Czech Republic
• Croatia
• Hungary
• Romania
• Bulgaria
• Greece
• Turkey
• Iran
• United Arab Emirates
• Egypt
• Algeria
• Tunesia
• Senegal
• Nigeria
• Namibia
• South Africa
• Pakistan
• India
• Bangladesh
• Japan
• China
• Taiwan
• South Korea
• Thailand
• Indonesia
• Malaysia
• Philppines
• Papua New Guinea
• Australia
• New Zealand

Going back 3 months of server statistics, there are even more countries where people read about the Delta Queen on save-the-delta-queen.org:

• Argentina
• Chile
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Slovakia
• Macedonia
• Lithuania
• Latvia
• Estonia
• Malawi
• Tanzania
• Uganda
• Iraq
• Kuwait
• Vietnam

Isn’t that something to think about? People all around the world are caring about the Delta Queen. Why doesn’t the US Congress?

Your support is needed!

There 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 going to introduce an exemption bill in the Senate shortly after Labor Day. He need as much Senators to support him as possible to be successful.

Also don’t forget to let your Senators know that the Delta Queen is not a safety issue as claimed by her opponents.

Delta Queen supporter Michael Cummins has been nominated to run for the congressional seat currently held by James Oberstar in the 8th District of Minnesota (www.cumminsforcongress.com).

Showing his support for the Delta Queen, Mike Cummins wrote in a letter to Time magazine, responding to its recent cover story featuring Mark Twain:

"It is ironic that you have chosen Mark Twain as your cover story of the week at a time when an institution for which he had little respect — the United States Congress — is on the brink of destroying the only remaining link to the era that inspired his greatest work.

The Delta Queen, the last authentic steamboat carrying overnight passengers on our inland waterways, is on the brink of being put out of operation because Congress is cowering before James Oberstar, the all-too-powerful chairman of the all-too-powerful Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, who for reasons of his own wants to destroy this National Historic Landmark.

(…)  It amazes me how we have gotten to the point in this country where we are willing to allow our historical icons to fall by the wayside for political gain. That is not the America that I love and appreciate.

If we do not protect our treasures in this country from special interests, then we are basically removing history from the hearts and minds of the American people. We need to stand up for America and we need to stand up for those who need our help and, yes, that includes steamboats. (…)"

The Fox News Channel has taped a segment featuring the Save the Delta Queen Campaign. Barring a major breaking story, you can see it on Special Report with Brit Hume this Friday, July 16.

Update: Watch the video at Fox News Special Report "Delta Queen Retiring?"

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/

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…

Charles Greene, member of the Greene family formerly owned Greene Line Steamers, including the Delta Queen and numerous other steamboats, has sent an open letter to the US Congress. This is what he has to say – and I’d like to emphasis how much I supprt every single word of this letter!

Dear Members of Congress,

My name is Charles Greene. My dad, Robert Greene, was ferried off to his WWII troop ship in San Francisco Bay aboard the Delta Queen, which then returned loaded with wounded troops. My dad came back from the war. Far too many did not.

In 1947, my grandfather’s cousin, TomGreene, bought the Delta Queen, had her towed from California to Cincinnati, and put her into operation carrying passengers up and down the Mississippi River and its tributaries just as steamboats had done for more than 100 years.

Today the Delta Queen is the only remaining genuine steamboat carrying overnight passengers on our inland waterways. On her travels, she brings much-needed tourist revenue to many river towns, which will now be needed all the more after the devastating effects of the recent floods on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

Yet now some members of Congress want to put her out of business because she doesn’t comply with a provision of a law that was never intended for riverboats.

The Delta Queen survived being towed through the Panama Canal without incident, and has served honorably and faithfully for more than 80 years without any serious safety incidents. The Delta Queen survived the recession that followed the attacks of 9-11, and Hurricane Katrina (although her then-owners did not). She is surviving $140/bbl oil.

But there is a good chance that the Delta Queen cannot survive her most lethal challenge to date: the inaction of Congress. Without an exemption to legal restrictions due to her wooden superstructure, this will be her last season.

To some in Congress the facts do not matter. They care only about the letter of a misapplied law. So to all of you I ask this question: Come July 4th, just what the hell are we celebrating?

Charles Greene
Lewisburg, KY

The Save the Delta Queen Campaign Team has pinpointed a potential ally in the Senate. There is a good chance that we can persuade Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania to introduce exemption legislation for the Delta Queen. It is crucial that he hears from as many people as possible — especially from people living in Pennsylvania.

Please, if you can, contact Senator Specter and ask him to do whatever he can to get an exemption (preferably a permanent one) for the Delta Queen through the Senate. And please ask everyone you know — especially anyone who lives in Pennsylvania — to do the same. Also ask them to ask more people to do the same. Here’s where you can reach Sen. Specter:
 
The Hon. Arlen Specter
711 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4254
Fax: (202) 228-1229
Email through his web site: http://specter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

Within the next two weeks we’re also going to deliver a set of petitions and resolutions to Sen. Specter’s office at Capitol Hill. This will consist of petitions, resolutions, and Steamboats.org petition messages that we’ve collected since our first delivery to them on April 18. Anyone who has petitions or resolutions, please let us know so we can give you details about whom to send them to and when.

The fight to save the Delta Queen has just begun!

Rallies to save the Delta Queen will take place on:

Friday, May 23 at Henderson, Kentucky: Audubon Mill Park beginning at 1:30 p.m. Entertainment by a bluegrass band assembeled by the International Bluegrass Museum.

Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day) at Madison, Indiana: Madison Landing from noon to 1:00 p.m. Entertainment by the Ohio River Minstrels.

Thursday, June 12 at Marietta, Ohio: At the Public Landing in front of the Lafayette Hotel from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 pm. Entertainment by The Musicians of Braeburn and the Treblemakers.

Please join one or all of these rallies and urge everyone you know to come out and join in!

The Delta Queen will in port for all three of these events.