Amendment One: S. 2505
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I am bringing this column “out of retirement” temporarily in order to highlight for you a precious opportunity. That opportunity is the enactment of S. 2505: radio reform legislation that is sponsored by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ), Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Minority Member Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Senate Commerce Committee Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA). If enacted, this bill would finally repeal the adjacent channel spacing restrictions that were imposed on Low Power FM radio stations by a “lame duck” Session of Congress in December of 2000. This month -- September of 2004 -- could be the month when S. 2505 becomes the law of the land, but whether that happens depends in large part upon how many people like you are willing to contact legislators in Congress. Many of you may remember that the Senate Commerce Committee voted in June to approve S. 2505. The bill itself passed on a voice vote: in essence, unanimously. Before that unanimous vote, however, the Committee rejected only narrowly -- by a margin of 12 to 10 -- an amendment, offered by Senator Conrad Burns, R-MT, which would have weakened the bill considerably. All of the Committee’s Democrats voted against the Burns amendment, but most of the Committee ’s Republicans voted for it. Now the McCain/Leahy/Cantwell bill is in line for a vote by the full Senate. The primary lesson learned from the Committee experience is that most Senate Republicans -- not all, but most -- continue to oppose adjacent channel spacing reform for Low Power FM stations. Thus, U.S. Senators in general, and Republican U.S. Senators in particular, need to hear from people like us before the full Senate vote occurs this month. The secondary lesson learned from the Committee experience is that opponents of S. 2505 may again avoid a frontal assault on the bill and offer a weakening amendment instead. Thus, in your communications to Capitol Hill, you should not simply urge a “Yes” vote on S. 2505. You should instead urge “support for the enactment of S. 2505, without any weakening amendments.” Another key point is that we need to contact Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as Members of the U.S. Senate. If the full Senate votes “Yes” on S. 2505 this year, the bill must then move to the House almost immediately if it is going to be enacted before this Session of Congress adjourns. Because we may not have time to contact our Representatives later, we need to contact them NOW. Congress may stay in Session longer than it presently plans to do -- and/or Congress may well come back to Washington for a “lame duck” Session of Congress after the elections. For now, however, Congress is scheduled to adjourn, for the year, on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1. This means we are only guaranteed a maximum of 3 weeks to make our case. So … I
urge each and every one of you to contact your Senators
and your Representative, by Fax or E-Mail, As Soon As Possible.
You can find
Fax numbers and E-Mail Addresses on each legislator’s
web site. “Speak now, or hold your peace” -- not necessarily forever, but at least until the new Session of Congress convenes in January of 2005. By that time, Congress will have pushed a metaphorical “Reset” button and everything, including the McCain/Leahy/Cantwell bill, will have to be started up all over again, from Square One. Wouldn’t you rather push Congress to get it done in September? “WHAT LIES BENEATH” Following the body of this article you will find 4 other items which may prove useful to you: 1) A sample letter to a U.S. Senator; 2) A sample letter to a U.S. Representative; 3) A list of all U.S. Senators, beginning with U.S. Senators whose seats are up for election this year; AND 4) A list of all Members of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications & The Internet, which will have the initial jurisdiction over S. 2505 in the House of Representatives (if the bill passes the Senate), and the other Members of the full House Committee on Energy & Commerce. If you are represented by one of the legislators listed in Item No. 4, your Fax or E-Mail may have several times the impact of contact with a “rank and file” Member of the House of Representatives. In the Senate, however, where S. 2505 has already won Committee approval, all Senators will have equal weight in the coming vote on the Senate floor. SAMPLE LETTER TO A U.S. SENATOR Dear Senator, As one of your constituents, I urge you to vote for passage of S. 2505, without any weakening amendments. This bill would increase the number of small, community-focused Low Power FM radio stations, especially in urban and suburban areas, by repealing certain channel spacing restrictions imposed by a “lame duck” Session of Congress -- without the benefit of Senate Committee Hearings -- in December of 2000. Studies by the FCC, and a more recent study by the independent MITRE Corporation, have shown that these restrictions are not necessary in order to prevent interference. S. 2505 is sponsored by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain, R-AZ, Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Minority Member Patrick Leahy, D-VT, and Senate Commerce Committee Member Maria Cantwell, D-WA. S. 2505 has recently been approved by the Senate Commerce Committee and will, presumably, come to a vote on the Senate floor in September. I hope to see your name listed among those who vote “Yes” on the bill and “No” on weakening amendments. Sincerely, SAMPLE LETTER TO A U.S. REPRESENTATIVE Dear Representative, As one of your constituents, I am writing in support of S. 2505: a bill which is now awaiting action by the full Senate. When this bill reaches the House, I urge you to support its enactment, without any weakening amendments. This bill would increase the number of small, community-focused Low Power FM radio stations, especially in urban and suburban areas, by repealing certain channel spacing restrictions imposed by a “lame duck” Session of Congress -- without the benefit of Senate Committee Hearings -- in December of 2000. Studies by the FCC, and a more recent study by the independent MITRE Corporation, have shown that these restrictions are not necessary in order to prevent interference. I hope to see your name listed among those who vote “Yes” on the bill and “No” on weakening amendments. Sincerely, (YOU) MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE Seats Up For Election THIS YEAR ALABAMA: Richard
Shelby, R Seats Up For Election In 2006 ARIZONA:
Jon Kyl, R Seats Up For Election In 2008 ALABAMA: Jeff
Sessions, R HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS & THE INTERNET OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY & COMMERCE Fred Upton, R-MI -- Chairman OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY & COMMERCE Joe Barton, R-TX -- Chairman, Energy & Commerce
Committee (Also: Ex Officio Member, Subcommittee on COPYRIGHT 2004 BY DON SCHELLHARDT Don Schellhardt is a former Washington lawyer and current “grassroots” activist for political reform. During his 20 years in Washington, D.C., Don served as Legislative Counsel to Representative Matthew J. Rinaldo (R-NJ, retired), Legislative Analyst for the U.S. House of Representatives Republican Research Committee and Policy Advisor on global warming and energy efficiency at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He also spent 12 years as a Government Relations executive with the American [Natural] Gas Association, where his posts included Director of State, Local and Coalition Relations and Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs. Don’s achievements in Washington included contributions toward the enactment of Federal statutes which reduce acid rain and encourage cleaner, more energy-efficient combined cycle turbines in new powerplants. Don also played a role in the adoption of State and local regulations which encourage or require greater use of natural gas and electric vehicles in California (especially the Los Angeles Basin), Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana. Don left the Republican Party in 1988 and Washington, D.C. in 1992. Since then, he has represented abused children in the courts of Virginia, served as an advocate for autistic children and adults in Virginia and actively opposed further development of Lookout Mountain in Colorado. He has also fought for greater diversity in media ownership and programming --- with efforts that included a leadership role in the successful campaign to establish small, community-oriented Low Power FM radio stations throughout the country. |