Telecom Bill Appears Dead For Year

Pending deregulatory telecommunications legislation faces new hurdles now that Democrats have won the House and gained control of the Senate, industry sources said. "...The Senate Democrats will keep anything from happening other than that which is necessary for the continuity of government," a former Democratic Hill staffer said, referring to the forthcomgin post-election session. "I don't think anybody is putting high odds on [telecom] action this year," added a telecom industry source, while another source was even blunter. "That bill's dead," the source said. In analysis issued late Tuesday, the investment firm of Stifel Nicolaus predicted that the Democratic takeover of the House and Senate would not result in major communications policy changes. Instead, the firm anticipates that any telecom or media legislation enacted by Congress would be "modest in scope." Despite the odds, there continues to be speculation that Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) will try to move at least portions of his bill during the post-election session to salvage part of his legislation following months of debate, drafts, hearings and committee action. Sen Stevens, who also is Senate president pro tempore and a former Appropriations Committee chairman, is an expert at parliamentary procedure. He commands grudging respect from even his fiercest critics, who concede that he should never be underestimated or discounted.