Congressional calendar winding down on STELA

[Commentary] The clock is rapidly expiring on the 113th Congress. While in the rest of the world, the beginning of June signals a nearing to the midpoint of the year, in Congress during an even-numbered election year, when the calendar flips to June, it signals a mere 10 workweeks until the end of the federal government's fiscal year.

Whether Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) or Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) runs the House, this calendar remains as the July Fourth and August recesses allow members to stay connected with their constituents back home.

Everyone who has been in Washington for any length of time knows this time table. It focuses the minds of lawmakers on what can be accomplished and what cannot as the Congress draws near a close. One prime example where the clock is in danger of running out on a law is the re-authorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act (STELA).

A clean bill, without controversial amendments, would very likely pass before Congress adjourns, but amendments being considered by retiring Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) could serve as poison pills to the whole process. At the urging of pay-television advocates, the Democratic majority on the committee would use the expiring law to create a new set of regulatory regimes that cripple the local broadcaster's ability to survive.

STELA is the law which, at least partially, governs the relationship between local broadcasters and pay-television providers. Unfortunately, Sen Rockefeller's committee is considering amendments to STELA which benefit pay-television providers to the detriment of those who produce local content.

Even on Capitol Hill, it should be clear that the federal government compelling a private business to provide its services to another private business without a contractually agreed-upon payment price is wrong and should be rejected. Yet that is exactly what the pay-television industry hopes to put into reauthorization language dooming the bill.

[Manning is is vice president of public policy and communications for Americans for Limited Government]