Supporting the goals of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I should start by offering special thanks to the Motorcycle Industry Council and the American Motorcyclist Association who have really helped shepherd this bill through the various congressional committees and through Congress.

Madam Speaker, $300, that is what I paid for my first motorcycle. Throw in another $20 for the helmet, the freedom, the fresh air, the open road in Texas, the exhilaration was priceless. There are a lot of bikers out there who know exactly what I feel about riding along on the open road, especially in a beautiful State like Texas.

Gas prices last year were on the rise. The gentleman from Tennessee mentioned better weather heading our way. More people across America are going to start using their motorcycles, using them to go to work, travel, or just go for a ride and enjoy the freedom that is uniquely American.

Yet as ridership increases, so does the risk for everyone on the road. Last year in the Lone Star State alone, preliminary numbers revealed that more than 9,100 motorcycle crashes accounted for more than 400 deaths.

As a doctor, I have been in plenty of emergency rooms and trauma centers. Take it from someone with nearly 25 years of experience in medicine, you don't want to be involved in a crash of any kind, but most particularly in a motorcycle accident. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. For bikers, prevention is riding the right way, and that is responsibly. That means getting trained. That means you don't do motocross on suburban streets. That means you wear protective gear. That means you are aware of the cars and trucks around you.

For other drivers, drivers in the larger vehicles, prevention means keeping your eyes open and staying alert. Something as simple as conversing on the cell phone or comforting a crying child is a dangerous distraction that can lead to a crash as well.

Abundant caution for all drivers is essential and encouraged. But accidents do happen, and when they do, people need to receive proper medical care to treat their injuries.

That is why for the past several years I have introduced legislation to close a loophole on the HIPAA health care law that allows insurers to deny payment for injuries sustained while engaged in certain recreational activities, including riding a motorcycle.

The original point of this law was to make health plans more accountable to the people they cover, but these very same provisions are hurting the people they intend to help. Congress is charged with making laws to protect people. When these laws have the opposite effect, we also have the responsibility to fix them and fix them immediately. This loophole has been a problem for almost 12 years. The time has come to fix it.

I am grateful to say H.R. 1086 passed out of our committee earlier this year. It allows for increased transparency so that people are at least entitled to know the information of what their policy does or doesn't cover, and it must be spelled out up front in a language that everyone can understand.

The time has certainly come for riders and those who desire to ride in the future to listen to the wise advice of people, like our former Transportation Secretary, Secretary Mary Peters, who happened to ride a Harley herself, who was steadfast in her support for this legislation in many Congresses past, and I am sure would join with me today in supporting this legislation.

As I stand here in support of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, I am extremely cognizant of the current problems that the motorcycle industry has been having with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, specifically the bill H.R. 4040 that became the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act that we passed in the last Congress.

Motorcycle dealers are small businesses, and we have put a burden on them that is, in fact, putting their business in danger of survival. And at a time when our economy is losing jobs, we can scarcely afford to continue that.

It is reported today that the President intends to provide the Consumer Product Safety Commission with a 71 percent increase in resources than what they had before to enforce the sweeping laws that were passed in the last Congress. No law has been more sweeping than the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. Unfortunately, it has swept up businesses Congress did not intend to be swept away.

So yesterday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a Federal Register notice providing a stay of enforcement for the motorcycle industry, but a stay is not enough. These businesses need the assurance that they will not be again required to close down. So I introduced a bill earlier this year, H.R. 1587, to permanently exclude the ATV, motorcycle and snowmobile industries from the application of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act because what child under the age of 12 is going to get lead poisoning from consuming the battery in their ATV? In fact, there is the potential for more harm to a child by having them ride an adult-sized ATV or motorcycle than there is the risk of the child consuming the battery that is contained within their motorcycle.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission cannot do the job that it needs to do without an administrator. It requires the leadership of the administrator of the Consumer Product Safety Commission to winnow out the intent of Congress and to put this law on the track on which it was intended.

So while I enthusiastically support President Obama for trying to give the Consumer Product Safety Commission more resources, what the Consumer Product Safety Commission really needs is leadership. I ask the President to nominate an administrator for the Consumer Product Safety Commission so they can provide the leadership to truly impute congressional intent.

If there ever was a bipartisan issue on which both Democrats and Republicans can agree to, it is the fact that the CPSC needs a new administrator, and some common sense needs to be applied to the act that we passed in the last Congress called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I would like to voice my strong support for H. Res. 269, and I want to commend the primary sponsor of this resolution, Dr. Burgess, from whom we will hear in just a few minutes.

The resolution expresses support for the goals of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. As the weather gets warmer across the country, our Nation's highways will experience a very large increase in motorcycle traffic. Because of the increased ridership and potential for accidents, each year May is designated Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

During the month, State agencies and motorcycle organizations across the country conduct a variety of activities to remind all riders and motorists to share the road. These activities also encourage riders to be properly licensed, receive proper training, never drink and drive, and wear protective head wear.

As the popularity of this mode of transportation increases, Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month will continue to help drivers of cars, trucks and motorcycles consider the safety of all users of the road.

In approximately two-thirds of fatal car versus motorcycle crashes, the driver of the car is at fault. The activities associated with this resolution will help make all users of our Nation's highways safer.

Additionally, this resolution recognizes the transportation benefits associated with motorcycling. Motorcycles are a fuel-efficient and congestion-decreasing mode of transportation, in addition to having little impact on our Nation's transportation infrastructure.

From a personal standpoint, Madam Speaker, I will tell you that a couple of years ago the youngest of our four children, my son who is now 23, he bought a used 1979 Honda motorcycle for, I think, $625. Ever since that time, I have read almost every day in the Knoxville News Sentinel something I never noticed before, and that is that almost every day there seems to be a serious motorcycle wreck and often a motorcycle fatality reported on in our local daily newspaper. I have expressed my concern to my son about trying to be as safe as possible, and I believe thus far he is.

I have also noticed that the largest number of motorcycle riders now are people in their forties, fifties, and sixties. Knoxville has hosted several times something called the Honda Hoot where we have over 20,000 motorcyclists come in, most people middle aged and older. So motorcycle ridership is growing by leaps and bounds, and in many ways that is a good thing. But this resolution calls the attention of everyone, motorcycle riders and others, to the need to try to be as safe as possible when using this form of vehicle travel.

I support this resolution and hope it brings attention to motorcycle safety across our Nation's highways as well as the additional benefits of motorcycling. I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, it is my honor at this time to recognize the primary sponsor of this resolution, the gentleman from Texas, Dr. Burgess, who has become such a leader in so many areas in this Congress, and this resolution is just another prime example. I recognize him for such time as he may consume.

Madam Speaker, I have no other speakers and so I would just like to urge passage of this very fine resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 269, supporting the goals of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and bringing much needed attention to motorcycle safety on our nation's roadways. I want to thank the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Giffords) for bringing this important issue to the forefront.

With the arrival of spring's warmer weather, our nation's highways will once again experience a large increase in the number of motorcycle riders across the country. Motorcycles represent a valuable component of the transportation network in our nation. In 2006, there were more than 6.7 million registered motorcycles in the United States. Motorcycles continue to grow in popularity each year with motorcycle registrations increasing by over 60 percent from 1998 to 2005.

Motorcycles are a fuel-efficient and congestion-decreasing mode of transportation. This increasingly popular mode of transportation also requires greater attention to the safety concerns associated with riding. However, because of motorcycles' smaller size, motorcyclists are often hidden in a vehicle's blind spot. Public awareness of motorcycle safety benefits everyone that uses our nation's roadways, not just motorcyclists, because it can lead to a decrease in car- motorcycle crashes.

In 2007, motorcycle rider fatalities increased for the tenth straight year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), between 1997 and 2007 there were 38,566 motorcyclist fatalities and 756,000 motorcyclist injuries on U.S. roadways. In 2007 alone, there were 5,154 motorcycle fatalities and 103,000 injuries, up from 2,116 fatalities and 53,000 injuries in 1997. These statistics on motorcycle fatalities and injuries each year further illustrate the importance of public awareness and the need for greater education of all roadway users.

Per vehicle mile traveled, motorcyclists are approximately 35 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash and 8 times more likely to be injured. Further, an estimated 142,000 motorcyclists have been killed since the enactment of the Highway Safety and National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966. A NHTSA-funded study, the ``Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures Study'', found that in approximately two-thirds of fatal car-motorcycle crashes, the driver of the car was at fault.

Throughout Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, riders are encouraged to become educated on the importance of following the rules of the roadway, being alert to other drivers, and always wearing protective gear such as a helmet. NHTSA estimates that helmets saved 1,784 motorcyclists' lives in 2007, and that 800 more lives could have been saved if the motorcyclists involved in fatal non-helmeted crashes had worn helmets.

These striking statistics paint a very clear portrait of the need to decrease motorcycle crashes through licensing, rider training, education, enforcement, personal responsibility, and increased public awareness.

I urge my colleagues to join me in agreeing to this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 269) supporting the goals of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

Madam Speaker, I ask that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 269.

I rise in support of this resolution and yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 269, which seeks to support the goals of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. I want to thank the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Giffords) for introducing this resolution and bringing much-needed attention to motorcycle safety in our Nation's roadways.

With May once again bringing warm weather, highways nationwide will witness the seasonal rise of motorcycle riders. The popularity of motorcycles climbs every year, with motorcycle registrations increasing by over 60 percent from 1998 to 2005.

In anticipation of this rise in ridership, it is important to educate the public about motorcycle safety. Public awareness of motorcycle safety benefits everyone sharing the roads, not just the motorcyclists, by reducing the number of car-motorcycle crashes.

In 2007, motorcycle fatalities increased for the 10th straight year in a row. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, there were 5,154 motorcycle fatalities and 130,000 injuries in 2007. This tragic statistic is much higher than the 2,116 fatalities and 53 million injuries recorded in 1997.

One of the most effective ways to reduce motorcycle crash fatalities is to encourage riders to always wear a helmet. NHTSA estimates that helmet usage saved the lives of 1,784 motorcyclists in 2007 and could have saved another 800 lives if the motorcyclists killed in non- helmeted crashes had been wearing their helmet.

Throughout the month of May, safety groups across the Nation will host educational events and media campaigns highlighting these safety tools and promoting safe driving practices. Through these efforts, we can work to reduce the number of preventable tragedies that far too often devastate our communities.

While I was a State legislator, I fought hard to keep helmet laws in place. But, sadly, my home State of Florida now allows people to ride without helmets. With greater freedom comes greater responsibility. Motorcycle accidents without helmets increase the insurance rates, burden the health care system and cause great pain for families.

I thank the gentlewoman from Arizona for introducing this resolution and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting its passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy).

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I am proud today to highlight May as ``Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and to rise in support of House Resolution 269, which I introduced with my colleague from Texas, Congressman Michael Burgess.

Our resolution recognizes the importance of motorcycles, and encourages riders to always wear helmets and other protective gear, to never drink and ride and to be properly licensed and trained.

H. Res. 269 also serves as a reminder to all riders and motorists to always share the road respectfully.

I have been riding and racing motorcycles for over 20 years--so the issue of motorcycle safety is of great importance to me.

Sadly, it is true that motorcycles have a higher rate of fatal accidents than automobiles.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, motorcyclist fatalities increased by 57 percent between 2002 and 2007.

Motorcyclists are about 35 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash and 8 times more likely to be injured.

As motorcyclists across the county gear up for the upcoming riding season, these startling statistics highlight the need for safety education.

They also reflect the growing popularity of motorcycles. Over the past decade, U.S. motorcycle sales have more than tripled.

In my home state of Arizona we have more than 150,000 registered motorcycles.

With over 300 days of sunshine in our state every year, you can imagine why so many Arizonans choose to ride their bikes!

There are many other reasons why motorcycles are so popular, but one explanation is simple economics: motorcycles offer a more fuel efficient--and cheaper way--of getting around.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, motorcycles consume 56% less fuel per mile traveled.

On average, motorcycles can get between 40 and 75 miles per gallon of gas.

I am proud that, as a motorcyclist, I can leave a smaller footprint on our earth by riding my bike.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank the Motorcycle Industry Council, the American Motorcyclist Association, and the Motorcycle Riders Foundation for all that they do to support motorcyclists.

I am pleased that the House will be considering H. Res. 269 today, and I urge its swift passage.

Thank you and Happy Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month!