A New Letter Writing Campaign (This Time Its The House!)

06/02/03 00:00:00    

By Michael Mealling

From http://www.space-rockets.com/congress:

June 2, 2003 - It is time to work your “magic” again with letters and phone calls directed to the ATFE and the House of Representatives. In the last few months, your letters and phone calls have been the key to persuading Senators and their staffs to support S724. All of our efforts have focused on the Senate and it has paid off more than we are permitted to publicly disclose. S724 is in good shape in the Senate.

Unfortunately, the House of Representatives is a different story. There opposition to S724 is strong, specifically in the House Judiciary Committee chaired by James Sensenbrenner. This is not unexpected for two reasons. First, we have not conducted an “education” campaign in the House. Second, Sensenbrenner is one of the authors of the Safe Explosives Act, which he attached to the Homeland Security Act as an amendment. It is pointless to bring S724 out of the Senate and send it to House until a path has been cleared for it. To make that path, we need to educate our Representatives on the fact that consumer rocket propellants are not explosives and are not a threat to homeland security.

The approach chosen to get our Representatives informed on this issue is a little unique. A direct letter asking for their support of S724 is not feasible as it has not yet reached the House. We cannot ask them to support a comparable House bill or support one of their fellow Representatives who plans to introduce a comparable House bill as neither exists. Instead, we are going to take advantage of the ATFE's proposed rule notice 968 to open the door to the House.