House and Senate lawmakers called on the Defense Department Wednesday to reconsider its decision against allowing military veterans to engage in their annual Memorial Day weekend motorcycle ride in the nation’s capital.
The event has long aimed to raise awareness for American prisoners of war as well as veteran suicide.
“As a biker and a veteran, I’m saddened by this decision. I hope the Pentagon will hear the voices of the thousands of my fellow veterans who partake in this annual tradition and reconsider,” Sen. Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican and co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Motorcycle Caucus, told the Washington Examiner in a statement.
Rep. Troy Balderson, an Ohio Republican and member of the House Motorcycle Caucus, told the Washington Examiner, “I am deeply disappointed by the Pentagon’s decision to refuse a venue for our veterans. This safe, outdoor event is intended to honor our nation’s past and present servicemembers.
For nearly 30 years, motorcyclists met up at the Pentagon’s parking lot for the yearly ride through the district along the National Mall. But the Defense Department last Friday rejected the organization’s permit application, claiming the massive size of the crowd violated COVID-19 safety regulations.
Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican and member of the Motorcycle Caucus, called the Pentagon’s decision to disapprove the permit “wrong.”
“As a veteran and a Harley rider, I know how beloved this event is to many. As more Americans are becoming vaccinated, there should be no reason we can’t gather for activities and in particular outside events,” he said.
AMVETS, a national veterans group, applied for an event permit one year ago, according to Joe Chenelly, national executive director of the organization. Chenelly told the Washington Examiner the Department of Defense told his organization that the DOD was monitoring the spread of COVID-19 in the Arlington County area.
The thousands of riders planning to attend the event raised a flag for the DOD, which concluded organizers would not be able to enforce COVID-19 social distancing protocols in the Pentagon parking lot that is located outside. Throughout the year, AMVETS repeatedly asked DOD officials for an opportunity to address its concerns about the event.
“We have a team of professional meeting planners. Our guys have had a bunch of events during the pandemic. We think we know how to do it safely, and we wanted a chance to be able to present our plan to them so that they could at least see what we were proposing,” Chenelly told the Washington Examiner. “But they wouldn't give us that audience the entire time. They wouldn't talk to us. All they would say is, ‘We'll tell you when we decide.’”
The Washington Examiner reached out to a Defense Department spokesman for comment but received no response.
The permit denial comes in the wake of new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases that found at least 649 COVID-19 cases were linked to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota from Aug. 7-16, 2020. About 426,000 people attended last year's Sturgis rally.
While Republican lawmakers are public about their support for the Pentagon to grant the permit, only one Democrat’s office told Chenelly he would encourage the Pentagon to engage in open talks with the group.
“We understand Mark Warner, the senator from Virginia, sent something over to them as well,” Chenelly said.
Despite the setback, AMVETS still plans on holding the popular event on May 30 as it seeks out an alternative plan in Washington, D.C. Another location being considered is the RFK Stadium parking lot, which is smaller than the Pentagon parking lot.
Only a single podium with the microphone will be set up for the event. While a confirmed list of speakers has not been released, Rep. Brian Mast, a Florida Republican, is expected to give remarks at the event. A bipartisan invite list is expected to be sent out.
