Stevens 'Very Close' To Votes Needed For Senate Telecom Bill

STEVENS 'VERY CLOSE' TO VOTES NEEDED FOR SENATE TELECOM BILL
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: David Hatch]
Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) expressed confidence that he would reach the 60-vote threshold of support necessary to stave off delaying tactics and move his sweeping telecommunications overhaul measure to the Senate floor. But while Sen Stevens said he is close to the 60-vote mark, he acknowledged during an impromptu interview that he has not reached it. "We're very close to that right now," he said, adding, "I'm going to visit with a series of senators to make sure they will be with us." While Sen Stevens previously had indicated the telecom bill would reach the floor when the Senate reconvenes in September following the summer recess, he acknowledged Thursday for the first time that floor action could be delayed until an anticipated lameduck session following the November election. "I would prefer to do it before the elections," Sen Stevens said -- while conceding that, given other pending legislative priorities, it would be difficult to get the floor time he needs prior to November. Sen Stevens said his broad telecom measure might be slimmed down, but only during House-Senate conference negotiations on the legislation -- and not on the Senate floor. Stevens did express confidence that amendments requiring the addition of so-called network neutrality provisions -- the most controversial issue in this year's telecom overhaul debate -- would be defeated on the Senate floor. Such provisions would bar cable and phone broadband providers from blocking or degrading competing Internet content.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-UMUA1154027364690.htm...

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