Congress Questions EPA on Motorcycle Emissions Rulemaking

Subj: 03NR19 - Congress Questions EPA on Motorcycle Emissions Rulemaking
Date: 6/26/2003 6:33:55 AM Central Standard Time
From: mrf-news.RemoveThis@mrf.org
To: ondgo.RemoveThis@aol.com

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tom Wyld
Phone: 202-546-0983
June 26, 2003

03NR19 - CONGRESS QUESTIONS EPA ON MOTORCYCLE EMISSIONS RULEMAKING

Forty-four Members of Congress joined U.S. Representatives John Shimkus (R-IL) and Ted
Strickland (D-OH) in asking the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the last questions the
agency may have to field before it finalizes a rule on street motorcycle emissions. The
rulemaking will have profound consequences on motorcycling in America.

In a letter sent to the EPA, these Members of Congress ask for more background, rationale and
data on the critical issues of the safety of catalytic converters on highway motorcycles, the
impact of the rulemaking on small motorcycle businesses and the degree to which the EPA adhered
to statutes and executive orders intended to breathe flexibility and fairness into the
regulatory process.

"I would like to thank ABATE of Ohio and ABATE of Illinois for their work with Congressmen John
Shimkus and Ted Strickland to originate this letter," said MRF President Karen Bolin. "I would
also like to acknowledge and thank all the SMROs who are responsible for an impressive list of
sponsors, and the many motorcyclists nationwide who contacted their representatives."

"In this effort to ensure that the voices of riders are heard, if not heeded, State
Motorcyclists' Rights Organizations (SMROs) are the stars," observed Tom Wyld, Vice President of
Government Relations for the MRF. "Brilliant grassroots performances by those who visited
Washington, DC this year to lobby their legislators led to the lion's share of those states'
Congressional delegations appearing on the Shimkus-Strickland letter. Every name on this letter
is a unique grassroots success story for SMROs from California to New Hampshire that underscores
the importance of full engagement in the democratic process, from letter writing and attendance
at town meetings to full-blown SMRO lobbying trips to Washington, DC."

The MRF would like to thank all the riders and SMROs who urged their Members of Congress to sign
this important letter to the EPA. To riders and SMROs who repeatedly reached their Congressmen
but did not prompt a signature, Wyld had this to say: "Your work will pay dividends. First,
your U.S. Representative can still send his or her own letter by using the language of
Shimkus-Strickland or deciding on his or her own questions to pose. Second, you have educated
your Representative about the underlying - and unresolved - issues behind a critical rulemaking
that may be close to finalization, but is far from settled."

Shimkus-Strickland signers include:

Joe Baca (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), Bob Beauprez (R-CO), Judy Biggert
(R-IL), Tim Bishop (D-NY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Leonard Boswell (D-IA), Jeb Bradley (R-NH),
Dave Camp (R-MI), Steve Chabot (R-OH), Jerry Costello (D-IL), Phil Crane (R-IL), Barbara Cubin
(R-WY), Lane Evans (D-IL), Bob Filner (D-CA), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Jim Gibbons (R-NV), Sam Graves
(R-MO), Mark Green (R-WI), Gil Gutknecht (R-MN),

J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ), Tim Johnson (R-IL), Mark Kennedy (R-MN), Steve King (R-IA), Mark Kirk
(R-IL), Jerry Kleczka (D-WI), John Kline (R-MN), Tom Latham (R-IA), Don Manzullo (R-IL), Thad
McCotter (R-MI), Mike McIntyre (D-NC), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Jim Nussle (R-IA), Butch Otter
(R-ID), Tom Petri (R-WI), Jim Ramstad (R-MN), Paul Ryan (R-WI), Tim Ryan (D-OH), Martin Sabo
(D-MN), James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Mike Simpson (R-ID), Bart Stupak (R-MI), Jerry Weller
(R-IL).

If your Representative's name appears on this list, please be sure to call or write him or her
with your sincere thanks! If your Representative's name does not appear on this list, call or
write and ask your Congressman to write to the EPA on your behalf and ask his or her own
questions about this proposed rulemaking.


Ride With The LeadersTM by joining the MRF at http://www.mrf.org/join.php or call
1-800-MRF-JOIN.

(c)All Information contained in this release is copyrighted. Reproduction permitted with
attribution. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation, incorporated in 1987, is a membership-based,
national motorcyclists' rights organization headquartered in Washington, DC. The first
motorcyclists' rights organization to establish a full-time presence in Washington, DC, the
Motorcycle Riders Foundation is the only Washington voice devoted exclusively to the street
rider. The MRF established MRFPAC in the early 1990s to advocate the election of candidates who
would champion the cause of rider safety and rider freedom.

The MRF proudly claims state motorcyclists' rights organizations and the very founders of the
American riders' rights movement among its leading members. The MRF is involved in federal and
state legislation and regulations, motorcycling safety education, training, and public
awareness. The MRF provides members and state motorcyclists' rights organizations with
direction and information, and sponsors annual regional and national educational seminars for
motorcyclists' rights activists, as well as publishing a bi-monthly newsletter, THE MRF REPORTS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FYI ~ olbmwrider ~
visit ABATE of IL
http://www.abate-il.org