Pickering Optimistic About Fate Of Telecom Measure

PICKERING OPTIMISTIC ABOUT FATE OF TELECOM MEASURE
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: Drew Clark]
Despite the fact that the 109th Congress is in its waning days, a bill overhauling the nation's telecommunications laws still has a chance of passage -- because Republicans want legislative victories going into the 2006 election in November, Rep. Charles (Chip) Pickering (R-Miss) said Tuesday. "The Republicans in the House and the Senate, we are operating under survival instinct," said Rep Pickering, and want "to have accomplishments so that we can continue in the majority." During a speech keynoting a Pike and Fischer conference on high speed Internet access, Rep Pickering -- vice chairman of the House Commerce Committee -- said that final passage of the legislation by this fall would require prompt House passage, Senate passage in June or July, and a conference committee over the August congressional recess. He asserted that the issue would not be decided in a post-election "lameduck" session considered a near certainty by many on Capitol Hill. Rep Pickering said three key ingredients in a final legislative package must be 1) a national video franchises, 2) interconnection between telecom companies and others, and 3) changes to the universal service fund that provides low-cost communications services to all Americans. The pending House bill, sponsored by House Commerce Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) and co-sponsored by Rep Pickering, includes a national video franchise and rights for cable operators and Internet telephone companies to connect to traditional telephones -- but no language on universal service.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-YPEI1147288884910.html