The Proposed Legislation that Just Won't Die

Although The National Right for Online Gaming (NROG) stated yesterday that Senator Bill Frist’s attempt to push through an online gambling ban before Congress breaks for elections has failed and no more action will be taken in the coming days, that’s not the case according to The Hill, a non-partisan, non-ideological weekly newspaper covering Congress and its members accessible online at www.hillnews.com/.

A September 26 story in The Hill reports that language to curb online was added back into the defense authorization bill this weekend.

According to The Hill, “Frist has been working hard to include some version of the Internet gaming language in the defense reauthorization bill in what a number of outside lobbyists see as a push to ingratiate himself with social conservatives and, more specifically, Leach, whose endorsement would be a big boost during the Iowa primary.

“The Internet gaming language would create an additional enforcement mechanism for federal officials to crack down on money transferred from banks, credit card companies and other financial institutions to gambling outfits overseas.

“This move to include an Internet gambling curb comes after Senate Armed Services Chairman John Warner (R-Va.) and Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), the committee’s ranking Democrat, rebuffed Frist’s attempts to include it in the bill because it is not related to defense policy.”

But it’s not a done deal yet, as House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) continues to postpone a vote until negotiators from both chambers include unrelated measures on immigration and court security.

According to The Hill, “Lawmakers will work to include a number of non-defense items in this must-pass bill that is a regular vehicle for pet projects.”