roundtable: Re: The planned Communications Act Re-write of the New(t) Congress

roundtable: Re: The planned Communications Act Re-write of the New(t) Congress

Re: The planned Communications Act Re-write of the New(t) Congress

Andrew Blau (blau@clark.net)
Fri, 20 Jan 1995 08:54:07 -0500 (EST) 

Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 08:54:07 -0500 (EST)
From: Andrew Blau <blau@clark.net>
To: roundtable@cni.org
Subject: Re: The planned Communications Act Re-write of the New(t) Congress
In-Reply-To: <199501190410.AA07105@world.std.com>
Message-Id: <Pine.SOL.3.91.950120083608.18750C-100000@explorer>


On Thu, 19 Jan 1995, Fred G Athearn wrote:

[paraphrased scenario for rewrite of Communications Act deleted]

Whatever one may think of the scenario overall, this part doesn't 
pass the smell test:

> > There is nothing to stop the steamroller now but if they
> > can't get the bill signed into law by Feb 15th, the deals
> > are all off, I am told.
> >  
> > end of paraphase

A)  Why is February 15 such a magical date that if the bill is not 
*signed into law* by that day the deal collapses?

B) It is now January 20.  No Republican bill has been introduced 
(although a memo with principles and favored mechanisms is circulating 
from the Senate side).  There are too few days and too many variables, 
both among the factions on this issue and the competing claims for 
Congressional attention at the moment, not to mention basic procedural 
considerations (such as they are in the 104th Congress).

Without even getting into the substance of the deal itself, the 
procedural assumptions make me sceptical.

Andrew Blau
Director
Communications Policy Project
Benton Foundation
blau@benton.org

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