I read it as more of a "you just need a majority of 435" to do their jobs.

If they properly perform as idiots, then they're idiots.

If they fail to be an idiot, then there is hope.

Let's hope they fail to be idiots.

Oh, I see.

Being a pie in the sky idealist, I was operating on that their job was to be representatives of the people (I know, that's rich), rather than the campaign funding (i.e. bribe paying) special interests (I know, what am I smokin', right?).

Be that as it may, David Dewey, thank you for bringing this to our attention, and please do so again if and when the House version gets to where letters could help.

Kelly, will do. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" doesn't happen much nowadays, so the little guy often gets trampled. BUT!! As I like tilting at windmills, I will post when the house bill gets moving.

Thanks to Mr. Dewey for his post last Saturday, I wrote to my Senator, Mr Kaine, and received his response on Tuesday, acknowledging his supporting vote for this worthy exemption.

To put it simply, we need to use the process we have.

I hope Mr. Dewey will continue to monitor the process in the House, letting us all know when the time is right to contact our Representative.

So what happens next?

I understand that the boat needs boilers. It's not easy, nor cheap, to shoehorn out large watertube boilers from the middle of an antique boat, nor purchase same and shoehorn in.

Other issues?

(Inquiring minds want to know, but I'm not a writer for the National Enquirer, nor play same on TV)

I was under the impression that she had scotch boilers. Regardless, I expect that they will come out in bits and pieces.

I saw a video showing one of the day steamers on the Mississippi, where they had replaced the old boilers with several "steam generators" (not even called boilers any more?), each about the size of a washing machine, but able to produce massive amounts of steam. Would that be practical for DQ?

In other needed work, I thought I heard that she ended her days as a hotel in Chattanooga due to the fire sprinklers going off and screwing up the interior. If true, I hope that the damage wasn't serious.

My recollection from 1974 or so when I took a trip on her was that she had a "steam generator." I believe that translated to a water tube boiler. This was the first trip after a major overhaul which included installation of the bow thruster and a diesel generator for the electrical power. A new steam generator (boiler) may have also been installed at this time. At one point during the voyage they lost steam pressure and had to be taken in tow for a while until they could get the problems resolved.

One of the interesting things I watched was taking indicator cards on the HP engine. A large wooden pulley was fitted to reduce the piston travel to what was needed for the indicator. At cut-off there was a very noticeable ringing on the pressure shown on the indicator card when the poppet valve snapped shut.

Wow, misinformation abounds!
No the sprinkler system didn't malfunction, but some deck leaks did do minor damage to some of the woodwork, mostly paneling (which likely wasn't the original!). The cold weather in Chattanooga was a bit hard on her plumbing systems.
Boilers; Yes, she will need new boilers. The boilers in place are the original water-tube boilers which were purchased from military surplus as brand new, but 15 years old! The boilers were originally designed for something like 450 pounds steam pressure, but were run at 250 pounds. This over-engineering is one reason they have lasted this long.
As Bunker C is becoming hard to find at fuel docks, the new boilers (or possibly steam generators) will burn something more common (diesel??), which may put an end to "soot happens!" Water-tube boilers, by their nature can be pieced out easily, but I'm not privileged to the plan for removal and replacement. She's also due for the 5 year hull inspection. there will be a LOT of work ahead due to her non-use, although efforts were made during the "long sleep" at Chattanooga to keep the steam systems functional, the wheel was even rolled at times.
Yes, she does have a bow thruster, which makes life (for the pilots) a bit easier. Since the new hull was put on, she's not as responsive to the rudders, I've been told. And yes, power generators are diesel powered, although a steam one is still on standby. In this case the Mississippi Queen (RIP) was more of a "pure" steamboat, as the generators on her were steam.
YES I WILL keep y'all informed on HR 619!

Thanks for the corrections, and the reminders to take action. I sure hope she runs again.

While I am sure there are other correct interpretations, a steam generator commonly refers to the base technology of the White steam boiler, further developed by the Doble family and later Bill Besler - that is a forced-circulation monotube configuration where water enters one end and steam exits the other -the only exception being a "normalizer" or de-superheater inlet. This technology found its way into a more commercialized role as the Clayton and Vapor-Clarkson steam generators - however it was used in planes, trains, automobiles, buses, and ships for propulsion as well as auxiliaries. In my opinion, the line between a steam generator and boiler begins to blur with the Lamont "boiler" which is essentially the same evaporation concept, but the outlet is purposely lower quality steam to reduce deposits in the tube. It has a water/steam separator vessel next to it which has a water level and this is circulated through the boiler. These all make great Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSG'S) for diesel engines. To the best of my understanding, American Queen has HRSG's.

Why someone hasn't taken a steam heating car, which had 2-3 250 psig 50+ boiler horsepower steam generators and connected them to a fireless steam locomotive vessel as an accumulator to make a 2 to 3 car rig that could be directly piped to the throttle box (drypipe blocked-off, superheaters removed) of name your big locomotive to play with it in the yard surprises me. "Y" not?

In layman's terms, a super-duper steam jenny / pressure washer.

Typically, a steam generator generates steam as needed, and has no reserve capacity, or stored steam (ie: a Pressure Vessel). A steam boiler has an area of stored steam, in marine water tube boilers this is typically the Steam Drum at the top of the tube array. However, AFAIK, the Delta Queen's boilers are/were more of a Babcock & Wilcox design as used in stationary boilers. Somewhere I have photos of the boiler room, unfortunately I not only am not certain where they are, but since I'm on dial up, I haven't been able to download pics to this interchange.

Disney World's old walking beam steamer used a steam generator - of course it only followed a restricted course, but it was no doubt more than adequate for its purpose. I'd hate to see that kind of technology on a real historic steamer, however...... Scotch boilers would be so much more historically appropriate to the era. What was she built with?

That sounds like what used to be called a "flash boiler." It seems to me the boilers on Stanley Steamers were of this sort.