04-15-2003

03LR05 - April 14, 2003

MRF LEADERS' REPORT
Motorcycle Riders Foundation
P.O. Box 1808
Washington, DC 20013-1808
202-546-0983 (voice)
202-546-0986 (fax)
wyld@mrf.org (e-mail)
http://www.mrf.org (website)

#03LR05 - THE LEADERS' REPORT - Ride With The LeadersTM - April 14, 2003

TO: The Leaders of the American Motorcyclists' Rights Movement

FROM: Tom Wyld, VP-Government Relations, Motorcycle Riders Foundation

HOUSE MOVES TO RESCUE HEALTH CARE BENEFITS.....Congressmen Scott McInnis (R-Colorado) and Ted Strickland (D-Ohio) have introduced H.R. 1749 ("The Health Care Parity for Legal Transportation and Recreational Activities Act"). A companion bill to the Senate measure (S. 423) we support, H.R. 1749 rescues the health care benefits of motorcyclists who suffer injuries in accidents. The bill extends injury benefit protection to employer-insured Americans engaged in legal recreational activities as well.

LEADING ROLE PLAYED BY SMROs.....This measure to rescue health care benefits for motorcyclists - identical to language in S. 423 introduced in the Senate by Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) - is the result of action by the American Motorcyclist Association with the assistance of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation. However, MUCH of the credit for amassing the lion's share of original H.R. 1749 co-sponsors goes to State Motorcyclists' Rights Organizations (SMROs), particularly those who've visited Washington, DC in the past several weeks to appeal personally to their Congressmen and Senators to rectify the health care wrong.

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY.....Just days ago, Congressmen McInnis and Strickland circulated a "dear colleague" letter to urge the House to adopt the language of S. 423. The hope was that as many as 20 original co-sponsors might step forward to sign their "dear colleague" letter. Achieving that number of signers would trigger the actual introduction of the bill in the House. Thanks largely to grassroots lobbying by SMROs, the "dear colleague" letter attracted in excess of 50 signatures by U.S. Representatives. These Members of Congress now number among the "original co-sponsors" of H.R. 1749. The bill, and a listing of the original co-sponsors, will be available in the next few days on http://thomas.loc.gov (simply search for H.R. 1749). If your U.S. Representative is not an original co-sponsor, urge him or her to sign on as a co-sponsor. Call your Congressman at 202-224-3121 or go to http://thomas.loc.gov and send an email today.

PROGRESS ON ALL FRONTS.....Leather and denim were still the dominant fabrics in the Halls of Congress the past busy two weeks. More SMROs visiting the nation's capitol have brought the number to well over 200 Members of Congress and their staffs who've been briefed personally on federal challenges threatening the rights and safety of American motorcyclists. ABATEs of New York, Iowa and Colorado have rolled into town so far this month - as well as MRF President Buck Kittredge and MRF Board Member Kirk "Hardtail" Willard - and the commitments from their Congressional delegations are nothing short of breathtaking. We have amassed more support than ever before - not just on health care rescue, but also on the urgent issues involving traffic safety. We have also found new friends and supporters advancing traffic safety through the joint MRF-SMRO TEA-21 reauthorization agenda that hinges on effective motorcycle safety measures.

EPA LETTERS SOON..... The Motorcycle Riders Foundation continues to work with SMROs and Members of Congress to generate letters of concern to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding the threat posed in its proposed rule on highway motorcycle emissions. In addition, new inroads have been made in tackling the EPA threat in order to safeguard our freedom and the related issue of the survival of thousands of small motorcycle businesses coast to coast. We expect the letters of concern to be finalized soon, so stay tuned.

Yours for the right to ride, and your friend,

Tom

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