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from: National Journal
Technology Daily

Inouye Leading Charge To Amend Telecom Bill

By David Hatch

(Wednesday, June 21) When the Senate Commerce Committee begins debating telecommunications overhaul legislation Thursday afternoon, Commerce ranking member Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, will seek to substantially revise a measure that its author, Commerce Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, is touting as bipartisan.

Stevens earlier this week sought to placate Democratic demands for tougher regulations -- particularly on the Bell telecommunications companies -- by issuing a third draft of the legislation, which contemplates the most significant update of the nation's telecom laws in a decade.

But the revisions have not quieted Inouye, who submitted 31 proposed amendments on Tuesday. The list of amendments includes a more regulatory substitute bill.

Nonetheless, Inouye remains a co-sponsor of the Stevens legislation despite his criticism.

"There are clearly many provisions in the bill that have broad bipartisan support and have not been contentious," Stevens spokesman Aaron Saunders said. "The process has been inclusive, transparent and thorough. To make this political or say that this is a partisan bill would be a real stretch."

Among the changes backed by Inouye are tougher regulations to ensure so-called network neutrality -- the concept of preventing cable and telecom operators of high-speed Internet networks from potentially acting as content gatekeepers.

Inouye is letting Sens. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, take the lead on that issue with three amendments. Another Commerce Committee member, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., also has submitted 10 amendments intended to toughen the neutrality provisions.

In an apparent attempt to further placate critics, Stevens will offer amendments to increase, from $11,000 per incident to $500,000, the fines for violating net neutrality. A second Stevens amendment strives to fortify consumer protections added this week to the net neutrality section.

Inouye also supports requiring the Bells and other new video providers to expand their systems to entire communities, an issue for which Boxer and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., have prepared an amendment. In addition, Inouye has crafted at least four amendments against so-called redlining, the practice of bypassing minority neighborhoods in the provision of services.

In all, members submitted more than 200 amendments Tuesday, with proposed tweaks due Wednesday. Lawmakers are deciding which proposals should be considered, consolidated or withdrawn, sources said. Most observers expect the committee to distill the amendments into a comparatively smaller amount.

According to a Senate Commerce "amendment list," Stevens will offer a "manager's package" featuring unspecified modifications. , Stevens will offer a "manager's package" featuring unspecified modifications.

Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Jim DeMint, R-S.C., have submitted amendments to rein in the $7.3 billion universal service fund program for subsidizing telecom offerings in rural and low-income regions.

Stevens has made preserving and expanding the USF a priority. But McCain has proposed capping it at $6.5 billion, and DeMint wants to prohibit subsidies for broadband deployment.

McCain also has submitted three amendments proposing regulatory incentives for Bell companies and other new video providers to make content available on a per channel basis.

The cable industry is running newspaper advertisements expressing opposition to that 'a la carte' plan.