Limited Time, Election Year Politics May Derail Senate Telecom Measure

The Communications, Consumer's Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006, passed by the Senate Commerce Committee last week, has an uncertain future mainly because of the limited working days left before Congress faces the November election. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) is considering whether to bring the legislation to the floor this fall. But he has first he has ordered Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) to confirm that 60 senators would support an effort to overcome a potential filibuster. However, even if Sen Stevens succeeds, Sen Frist is likely to weigh the political benefits against a potential policy fight before scheduling a vote. "The clock will be a major factor regardless of whether 60 votes can be found," a Frist aide said Friday, adding that the majority leader "will take it one step at a time." Sen Frist will study the legislative calendar "and decide if this giant policy and floor fight is appropriate for the 109th Congress or for the 110th." Sen Stevens may delete parts of the bill to win votes. But he drew a line in the sand on video-franchising changes and provisions to broaden the universal service fund, which provides communications services to rural and low-income areas.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-GQAW1152125011916.html
* Tie Vote On 'Net Neutrality' Poses Obstacle In Senate
Advocates of telecom legislation favored by the Bell telecommunications firms acknowledged that the tie vote on a network neutrality amendment during this week's Senate Commerce Committee debate means they face an uphill battle to win congressional passage of their measure this year. The strongly partisan vote on network neutrality -- all 10 Democrats on the Commerce Committee voted with Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) -- underscores the difficulty that Sen Stevens could have in lining up the supermajority of 60 votes necessary in the Senate to limit debate and therefore override any attempt to delay the vote. In June, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) told a conference for a Web log community in Las Vegas that he strongly supports net neutrality and would stop a bill from going to the floor without it.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-ZVEJ1152125524722.html
* Stevens Mark Up -- Results
Harold Feld looks at what's in and what's out of the Senate telecom bill.
http://www.wetmachine.com/totsf/item/547
* Sen Stevens shows his Internet savvy
http://blog.wired.com/27BStroke6/?entry_id=1512499