The Delta Queen is a national treasure. For more than 60 years this paddle-wheeled steamboat plied the waters of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Her passengers were able to relive an important part of this nation’s history. For 37 of those 60 years, Cincinnati was her home port. Life was good.
And then in 2008 it all came to an end. For the last five years, this once-majestic queen has been chained to a dock in Chattanooga, Tennessee; under-utilized as a dockside hotel; yearning to be free. Here’s how it happened.
Back in 1966, Congress passed legislation called the Safety of Life at Sea Act (SOLAS). The law banned wooden ships from carrying 50 or more passengers overnight at SEA. Although this legislation was aimed at ocean-going vessels (at SEA), the Coast Guard interpreted it as applying to river travel as well, and there was only one boat in America large enough to technically fall into this category – the Delta Queen. (The Delta Queen has a steel hull and a wooden superstructure and can comfortably accommodate up to 174 overnight passengers.)
Since Congress had never intended the legislation to apply to river vessels like the Delta Queen, Congress in 1968 passed an exemption for the Queen, so she could continue to operate. In fact, this exemption was extended seven times by Congress over the next 40 years.
Then in 2008, the stars aligned against the Delta Queen. The economic collapse occurred. The Delta Queen was bought by a new owner who needed to cut costs in order to continue to operate. Increasingly poor management led to safety concerns publically expressed by the crew. This discord resulted in the waiver being narrowly defeated in the House. The Queen’s reign was over.
Fast forward to 2013. A new potential ownership group is looking to resurrect and refurbish the Delta Queen. After spending nearly five years dockside, the current management and crew are united in their commitment to complete the work necessary to return the Delta Queen to safe river operation. Cincinnati is high on the list of potential home ports. At the very least, Cincinnati would be a routine stop, and the Delta Queen once again would ply the waters of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
I introduced legislation in the House to reinstate the necessary exemption to make this all possible. Kudos to Congressmen Brad Wenstrup and Thomas Massie for their enthusiastic support of this effort. I’d also like to thank Democratic Congressmen Lacy Clay of Missouri and Steve Cohen of Tennessee for their leadership on this issue. It has truly been a bipartisan endeavor.
On July 24th, the House Transportation Committee passed my bill. Now the bill is being considered by the full House. Today, beginning at approximately 5:00 P.M., I’ll be leading the debate on the merits of passing the bill on the floor of the House. You can watch it on C-SPAN. Assuming it passes the House today, prospects look very good in the Senate.
Then there’s only one final step. President Obama must sign the legislation into law. I am quite confident that he will do so, because back in 2008, when I offered the legislation in the House, then-Senator Barack Obama co-sponsored the exemption in the Senate.
Let’s stay positive. The Delta Queen shall sail again!
