AM Radio Bill Vote BLOCKED - We Want to Keep AM Radio in ALL CARS

Now is the time to contact your elected representative and tell them to pass the Save AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. This is an update to the Save AM Radio act and AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.Show more

I’m shocked that lawmakers from all sides have not passed this obvious bill into a law. Senator Ted Cruz requested a unanimous consent decision on his AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. It was blocked by Sen. Rand Paul, who said the mandate would be an overstep of congressional power.

This sets up the AM Radio Legislation for a traditional senate vote. When it comes to Capitol Hill political maneuvering, getting legislation to pass by unanimous consent is not an everyday feat — even when a majority of leaders are onboard for a bill’s approval. Thankfully the bill is far from dead.

In a move some D.C. insiders believe would not deliver the result he wanted, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), a key supporter of the Act, took to the Senate floor requesting a very rare unanimous consent vote for S.1669, legislation that requires the Department of Transportation to issue a rule that requires all new motor vehicles manufactured and sold in the U.S. to have devices that can access AM broadcast stations installed as standard equipment.

Since its May 17th introduction by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), some 43 co-sponsors have put their name on the bill, with Democrats Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Robert Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania joining Republicans John Hoeven of North Dakota and Chuck Grassley of Iowa in signing on to the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. Those Senators became co-sponsors on November 29th.

As Cruz’s camp sees it, the bill, which was approved by the Senate Commerce Committee earlier this year, was on the verge of Senate passage before being objected to by Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

This objection puts the Act into the typical Senate cue of taking a bill to the floor, opening up to amendments, and then holding a vote that would either approve the legislation, incorporate it into an omnibus bill, or let it linger, wither, and die. We cannot let this bill die.

The latter option is highly unlikely, as Rand Paul wants to tinker with the legislation rather than squash it. As reported by Streamline Publishing’s Radio Ink, Paul is seeking to add his own modification to the bill to end electric vehicle subsidies under the American Vehicle Tax Credit, in lieu of mandating AM radio remain a standard feature in all vehicles manufactured and sold in the U.S. as a safety feature.

The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act would, if passed, also direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to issue a rule that requires automakers to maintain AM broadcast radio in their vehicles without a separate or additional payment, fee, or surcharge beyond the base price of the device.

The Act requires any automaker that sells vehicles without access to AM broadcast radio before the effective date of the NHTSA regulation to clearly disclose to consumers that the vehicle lacks access to AM broadcast radio.

There’s more to the argument to keep AM radio. When Tesla and BMW announced they were dropping AM tuners from new electric vehicles because of electromagnetic interference, many people in the radio industry began looking for a political solution that would keep the aging technology alive. Initially, Ford announced plans to discontinue offering AM tuners in its internal combustion engine vehicles. Ford has since postponed those plans.

The Emergency Broadcasting System is the primary reason for AM radio keeps people informed about weather disasters, which also is important from a safety standpoint. Removing AM radio is a serious issue especially with local talk radio, local weather, your favorite local sport games and news. Many people rely on this free radio communication that is critical to their lives. Is there a reason to remove talk radio? Maybe is this a devious plan or are some car manufacturers cutting costs or is there more to it? What do you think?

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