Stevens Vows To Move Telecom Bill After Election

Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) vowed to move his telecommunications bill during a post-election congressional session. While Sen Stevens acknowledged during a speech that his bill "obviously can't be done before we go into recess," he said he is hopeful the Senate will schedule lame-duck floor action before adjournment. That would ensure the legislation is "part of the plans when we come back into session," he said, noting that lawmakers expect to return about Nov. 13. "It is possible still to get it passed, and I'm working as hard as I can to see that that happens," he said. The senator conceded, however, that if there is a "sea change" in the composition of the House and Senate as a result of the mid-term election, his bill is effectively dead. "I've been through a couple of sea changes. Nothing happens after a sea change," he said. Sen Stevens continued to blame advocates of so-called network neutrality restrictions for holding up his bill. "No one can tell me what net neutrality is other than something that a few big companies want," he said.