South Carolina Motorcycle Rights Association

And they’re gone. That's right Congress has adjourned until after the elections. Barring an emergency session to declare war or otherwise all members will be back home campaigning hard. This is a make or break year for both parties so expect the muckraking to be on display. The Congress has not passed all of the must pass bills for the year so that will all happen in the lame duck session. They passed a continuing resolution or CR to fund the federal budget through December 11th. The Congress is scheduled to come back November 12th.

The Senate Commerce committee has oversight of NHTSAs budget and every year the committee brings in the NHTSA chief to go over the agencies policies and procedures. Generally speaking these types of hearings all go the same way. When the political party testifying is of the same political party as the ones asking the questions they are softball style setups for the administration (NHTSA) to tout all their accomplishments. Then when the administration is questioned by the other party the questions come like spears, designed to tear down the administration and point out all they done wrong. Not this time. It seems every one is fed up with NHTSA. They were lambasted time and time again from both parties for bungling the implementation of the last highway bill known as MAP-21. The second portion of the hearing involved the Governors Highway Safety Assoc., the Alliance of Automobile Manufactures and the Advocates for Highway Safety and Auto Safety. No motorcycle specific issues came up, which is good for this group because with the exception of the auto alliance, hate motorcycle rights groups and usually go out of their way to make us look crazy.

Now that the Congress is in recess I won’t be sending out these weekly updates. Rather they will be periodic political reports on what's going on in key races around the country. If you have a local race thats important to you, let me know about it. This is the time of year when we spend a little PAC money to help our friends in congress or help our friends get into congress.

Jeff Hennie

Vice President Government Relations and Public Affairs

Motorcycle Riders Foundation

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