“There are hundreds of millions of dollars in pork barrel spending” in conference report (H.-Rpt. 107-278) on FY 2002 Commerce, Justice and State Depts. appropriations bill (HR-2500), Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.) said. McCain, who cast lone dissenting vote against measure Nov. 15, expressed particular concern with Advanced Technology Program (ATP) of National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) which would get $184.5 million under bill. ATP provides financial and technical support to R&D projects, but not to product development, of industries ranging from computers and communications to batteries and electronics imaging. McCain said White House had asked Congress to suspend ATP funding until Dept. of Commerce re-evaluated program: “The Secretary of Commerce has not released the results of that review nor any recommended changes to the program to the Commerce Committee. As we all know, the nation currently is involved in both war and economic downturn, and this $184.5 million should be spent on higher priorities than a welfare program for special corporate interests.” NIST spokesman referred questions to Commerce, which hadn’t responded by our Fri. deadline.
NextWave negotiations finally ended with announcement Fri. by FCC Chmn. Powell that settlement had been reached for company to surrender all its C- and F-block licenses. He said NextWave’s licenses would go to wireless carriers that won them in re-auction and “the American taxpayer will receive $10 billion, more than twice the amount than would have been received had NextWave kept the licenses in accordance with recent court rulings.”
“There are hundreds of millions of dollars in pork barrel spending” in conference report (H.-Rpt. 107-278) on FY 2002 Commerce, Justice and State Depts. appropriations bill (HR-2500), Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.) said. McCain, who cast lone dissenting vote (CD Nov 16 p8) against measure Nov. 15, expressed particular concern with Advanced Technology Program (ATP) of National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) that would get $184.5 million under bill. ATP provides financial and technical support to R&D projects, but not to product development, of industries ranging from computers and communications to batteries and electronics imaging. McCain said White House had asked Congress to suspend ATP funding until Dept. of Commerce reevaluated program: “The Secretary of Commerce has not released the results of that review nor any recommended changes to the program to the Commerce Committee. As we all know, the nation currently is involved in both war and economic downturn, and this $184.5 million should be spent on higher priorities than a welfare program for special corporate interests.” NIST spokesman said he had consulted with Commerce officials, who declined to respond to McCain’s comments.
Senate approved conference report (H.-Rpt. 107-278) on FY 2002 Commerce, Justice and State Depts. appropriations bill (HR-2500) Thurs., day after House okayed the measure almost unanimously (CD Nov 14 p2). Measure passed 98-1 in roll call vote, with Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.) lone dissenter. It provides for $245 million FCC budget, middle ground between $238.6 million House proposal and $252.5 million Senate recommendation. Commission appropriation would be offset by $218.8 million in fee collections. Report calls for investment of several hundred million dollars in govt. information technology and telecom infrastructure projects and funding for various cybercrime and intellectual property enforcement initiatives. It approved $154 million for Office of Justice Programs-administered law enforcement technology program, much of which will be distributed to state and municipal agencies to acquire or upgrade communications and data systems. It also would prohibit funding of “activities authorizing the United Nations or any of its specialized agencies or affiliated organizations to tax any aspect of the Internet.”
Full House by wide margin approved conference report (H. Rpt. 107-278) on FY 2002 Commerce, Justice and State Depts. appropriations bill (HR-2500). Measure, which passed 411-15 in roll call vote Wed., provides for investment of several hundred million dollars into govt. information technology and telecom infrastructure projects (CD Nov 14 p2) and funding for various cybercrime and intellectual property enforcement initiatives. It approved $154 million for Office of Justice Programs-administered law enforcement technology program, much of which will be distributed to state and municipal agencies to acquire or upgrade communications and data systems. It also contains provision that prohibits funding of “activities authorizing the United Nations or any of its specialized agencies or affiliated organizations to tax any aspect of the Internet.”
Infusion of several hundred million dollars into govt. telecom and information technology (IT) infrastructure project upgrades has been negotiated in conference report (H. Rpt. 107-278) on FY 2002 Commerce, Justice, State Depts. (CJS) appropriations bill (HR-2500). House-Senate conferees late last week also agreed on $245 million FCC budget, finding middle ground between $238.6 million House proposal and $252.5 million Senate recommendation. FCC appropriations would be offset by $218.8 million in fee collections. House Rules Committee planned hearing Tues. evening to set boundaries for floor debate on report, tentatively scheduled this (Wed.) afternoon.
FCC voted 3-1 at Thurs. meeting to repeal wireless spectrum cap Jan. 1, 2003, and raise it to 55 MHz in all markets during transition period. Comr. Copps delivered impassioned dissent, arguing that “in almost every market in the country, companies have not reached the cap.” Both Bush Administration and CTIA had urged Commission not to implement transition period but to remove restrictions immediately. But FCC said “orderly” transition is needed to allow it to consider what guidelines are required to move from bright- line approach of cap to case-by-case review of wireless license transfers. To assure FCC that Justice Dept. will continue to review such mergers for anticompetitive behavior on case-by-case basis, Asst. Attorney Gen. for Antitrust Charles James wrote to Chmn. Powell Wed.: “The department will continue to safeguard competition through its enforcement activities in the industry and does not believe removal of the spectrum cap rules will diminish its ability to do so.” FCC also eliminated cellular cross-interest rule in urban markets, but kept restriction in place for rural service areas. Spectrum cap has been 45 MHz, except in rural areas, where FCC raised it to 55 MHz in 1999. Interim period raises it to 55 MHz everywhere.
With FCC vote on wireless spectrum cap set for today (Thurs.), Commission has seen flurry of ex parte filings, including letter from Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. Hollings (D-S.C.) urging that 45 MHz ceiling be retained. “Since none of the current license holders are using all of the spectrum they already possess, we see no pressing need to make changes to the spectrum cap,” said letter to FCC Chmn. Powell Tues. from Hollings, Sen. Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Markey (D-Mass.). “Relaxation or elimination of the cap is likely to encourage unnecessary consolidation, relieve pressure on companies to innovate and pose a significant risk to consumers in the form of higher prices and fewer choices. This is the very result the cap was put in place to avoid.” Letter from Democrats appeared to be only public dissent from Capitol Hill on issue this year. FCC is expected to approve lifting cap to 55 MHz for 12-18 months, after which it would sunset completely.
House Speaker Hastert (R-Ill.) expects to move broadband legislation by year-end, but it will remain separate from any economic stimulus package that reaches House floor, aide Timothy Kurth said Tues. at Schwab Capital Markets conference in Washington. Kurth said bill (HR-1542) by House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.) and ranking Democrat Dingell (Mich.) was seen by Hastert as legislative vehicle to spur broadband deployment, particularly since it already had been approved at the committee level: “My boss is looking at completing action on this by the end of the year.” He declined to comment on possible movement of Tauzin-Dingell or other deregulatory measures in the Senate, where opponents such as Senate Commerce Chmn. Hollings (D-S.C.) not only have vowed to block such legislation, but have introduced bills that would bolster regulation of Bell companies and increase fines for noncompliance.
Senate action on energy bill passed by House that would set strict standby mode power limit on consumer electronics devices was less likely after Sept. 11 attacks. Still, bill sponsors were “still optimistic the Senate will act before the end of the year,” they said. Bill, proposed Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) Act of 2001 (HR-4) by House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.), was passed by House Aug. 2 and placed on Senate calendar Sept. 4, days before terrorist attacks that upended agenda of Congress. “If we remain in session until Thanksgiving, as many people predict and expect us to be, I think there is a good chance the Senate will deliver an energy bill,” Tauzin spokesman Ken Johnson said. If Congress adjourns sooner due to “a new threat, then chances are problematic,” he said.