The Omnibus Public Lands Act, which contained a provision to renew the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program for another 10 years, suffered a setback when it fell two votes short of passage in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The bill was favored 282-144 in the House, but a procedural tactic by Democrats required it to pass by a two-thirds majority. It seems clear that House Democratic leadership miscalculated the amount of bipartisan support for the measure.
The bill was opposed by some gun-rights groups, oil and gas interests, and, ironically for Route 66, motorcycle enthusiasts.
By the Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction, Colo., reports that one of the bill’s champions is optimistic it can still be passed soon.
[…] but the Omnibus Public Lands Act Package of 2009 is expected to be amended and voted on again within the next couple of weeks, said Eric Wortman, spokesman for Congressman John Salazar, D-Colo.
“We were very close,” said Wortman, whose boss voted in favor of the measure. “It’s a bill that is very important to him.”
Another lawmaker echoed Salazar’s sentiments:
Jude McCartin, spokeswoman for Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., the bill’s sponsor, said the House could revote on the measure, but could also send it back to committees for further hearings. “This bill is certainly alive,” she said.
Ditto for another bill advocate, David Carr of the Southern Environmental Law Center:
“This is a temporary setback,” he said. “We’ll stick with it, and it’ll get done.”
One report indicated the bill could be brought up again as soon as next week, where it would require a simple majority to pass. Another report indicates the lands bill could be folded into some other legislation for passage. The lands bill already had been easily approved by the Senate.
So the well-regarded Route 66 Preservation Program may yet be renewed after all. But the task has become tougher.
I hope it can pass. But, I would keep an eye on it. Some legislators do try to sneak other things onto it. The part about gun rights was a ban on people who have concealed carry licenses from carrying in National Parks, for instance. The motorcycle enthusiasts were off road riders who would have been kicked out of some good trails.