As we were ready to go to press and I was still ruminating over what to write my column about, in comes some late breaking news that changes everything.
The Senate has formed a Motorcycle Caucus! This will certainly be welcomed by the industry and receive strong support from the Motorcycle Industry Council and American Motorcyclist Association.
Kudos to U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst and Gary Peters – both lifelong motorcyclists – who have established the first Senate Motorcycle Caucus. Ernst (R-Iowa) and Peters (D-Mich.) will serve as co-chairs of the caucus, which will advocate on behalf of both motorcycle riders and manufacturers.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to encourage thoughtful discussion and solutions on behalf of motorcycle riders and manufacturers through my new role as co-chair of the Motorcycle Caucus,” Ernst said.
“Motorcyclists come from all walks of life, and I can’t think of a better way to bring together a diverse and dedicated group of advocates to discuss everything from safety concerns to manufacturing,” said Peters. “I’m looking forward to working with Sen. Ernst as co-chair of the bipartisan caucus to foster these important discussions and find common ground with motorcycle lovers across the country.”
The AMA said it was happy the bipartisan caucus finally came together; something it has long sought, according to Wayne Allard, AMA vice president of government relations. “We look forward to working with the members of this caucus on all the issues affecting the motorcycle lifestyle and the future
of motorcycling.”
While there has been a Congressional Motorcycle Caucus in the House of Representatives since 2008 co-chaired by Rep. Michael Burgess, M.D. (R-TX) and Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), along with nearly 30 other members, having a caucus in the Senate is a big deal. With heavyweights in Congress grouping together to fight for our causes and concerns, and there are many, is good for us all. It means there’s a much greater chance that an industry-related bill that we introduce could actually be passed. And in these times, passing anything through Congress is a major accomplishment.
