The House Financial Services Committee passed HR 6870, the second version of the Payments System Protection Act, on Tuesday. The bill, which was drawn up by Committee Chairman, Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), may now be debated on the floor of the House of Representatives. However, it’s a race against the clock, as the 2008 Congressional session is targeted to end next Friday, September 26th.
Representatives from the Poker Players Alliance, the online poker industry’s main lobbying group, told Poker News Daily on Wednesday that the group is pushing for a vote on HR 6870 before Congress adjourns. Traditionally, the main legislative body of the United States would return after elections for a “lame duck” session. However, if budgetary measures are taken care of, Congress will not need to return to Washington, D.C. until January, 2009. Its target adjournment date, according to the House calendar, is next Friday.
In a statement released on Tuesday night, PPA Chairman Alfonse D’Amato issued a call to action: “The PPA congratulates the Republicans and Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee on reaching this strong compromise bill and we look forward to enactment of this sound public policy during this legislative session.” The timing, however, could be problematic. With financial markets in the United States posting massive losses this week, highlighted by a multi-billion dollar federal buy-out of insurance company AIG, lawmakers may have other pressing issues on the agenda.
Back in 2006, former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) managed to attach the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in the final hours of the Congressional session. Now, according to the PPA and other industry leaders such as the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative (SSIGI), passing legislation is critical. SSIGI spokesperson Jeff Sandman commented in a press release, “We hope this vote indicates a willingness of Congress to develop a more sensible approach towards Internet gambling. Rather than prohibit an activity millions of Americans enjoy in the privacy of their homes, just as they can do in a casino, Congress should create a framework to regulate Internet gambling as a way to protect consumers and collect billions in much-needed federal revenue.”
In Tuesday’s vote, there were 23 Democrats and seven Republicans who voted in favor of HR 6870, according to an article that appeared in the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper. Two Democrats and 17 Republicans voted against the measure. While the vote was still largely along party lines, HR 6870 appears to have neared its goal of becoming bi-partisan. Its original co-sponsor, Peter King, is a Republican who hails from New York. He also authored an amendment to HR 5767 when that bill was originally on the table for mark up back in June.
Due to the timing of the vote, which was held about two hours after the conclusion of the mark up hearing, only 49 House Financial Services Committee members took part. This is in stark contrast to the 64 who voted for HR 5767 and its amendment, the latter of which was defeated by virtue of a 32-32 dead heat. The Committee is composed of 70 Representatives in total: 37 Democrats (led by Chairman Frank) and 33 Republicans (led by Alabama’s Spencer Bachus).