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For Immediate Release
11/02/05
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Chairman Stevens Speaks in Opposition to the McCain Amendment to Change the Digital Transition Hard Date
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Washington, D.C. – Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) today spoke in support of the Committee-approved Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 and in opposition to an amendment offered by Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) that would change the bill’s digital television transition date from April 7, 2009, to April 7, 2008.
Stevens argued that changing the date would put the transition date too close to the auction date, thereby causing logistical problems for the transition. In addition, he noted that it would impose increased costs on consumers. Senator Stevens’ made the following remarks in arguing against the McCain amendment:
I come to speak in opposition to the McCain amendment, which puts what we call the hard date (for the transition to digital television) only two months after the January 28, 2008 auction required by the bill. That's when the auction will commence. It's too soon to move immediately to a hard date in April. The auction could take weeks to conduct and even after it ends, there are several months necessary for the FCC to decide to whom to award the final licenses. Without the licenses, new wireless providers cannot build their systems, so a tremendous amount of spectrum would not be in use during that period of time.
Importantly, the auction proceeds will not be available until the final licenses are issued. That would mean that consumers would face having their analog TVs shut off before the converter box program could be implemented, as is suggested by our bill. American consumers will have to pay more to watch television if this amendment is adopted because the analog cutoff date that Senator McCain’s amendment requires is premature.
Now, the General Accounting Office and the Consumers Union estimate there are 20 million U.S. television households that rely upon over-the-air reception for their televisions. This is analog broadcast. The broadcasting systems are ready to convert, but we cannot get this done until we have the converter sets so that they can continue to watch their TVs. Their old sets will not respond to the converted signal. The over-the-air reliant households disproportionately represent America's most vulnerable people – they’re the low-income senior citizens. Forty-three percent of the Latino households rely solely upon this analog television, and in African-American households it’s 22 percent.
We have picked this date based upon the recommendations of the Congressional Budget Office, to maximize the return from the sale of the spectrum. It is this money that is necessary. That's why this portion of the bill raises money. To the extent that the money is not used for these consumer boxes, a provision in our bill requires all money not used, that is raised by this spectrum go to reduce the deficit. So this is a major deficit-reduction concept.
Having the hard date in 2009 is going to raise more money. We need that additional money to add the interoperability portions to the Reconciliation bill before us. The April 7, 2008 date is simply too close, as I said in the beginning, to the auction date of January 28. There has to be time between the auction date and the hard date in order to ensure that the communications capability is there, that the set-top boxes will be there, and that the portion of the television spectrum reserved for first responders is going to be the first made available. But by moving this date we do not make it available any sooner because of the time delay that will take place after the auction on January 28. It's just not possible, not physically possible, to have a hard date that close to the auction date because of the time necessary to really compute the value of these offers, to go through the process of accepting the high bids, and have the bidders bring forth the money to assure that they're sound. The whole concept of this bill has been to maximize the return and to really assure that those people who have analog sets will not be cut off from the television services they have by virtue of the hard date that's set.
The House date is December 31 of 2008. Ours is April of 2009. We moved it there to get away from the Christmas season, to get away from things like the Superbowl and other things. The longer it goes, the longer people will buy new digital-ready televisions and will not have to rely upon the set-top boxes that will be purchased by this money. Our accommodation is that if we can get this bill passed this year, we'll have Christmas 2006, 2007, and 2008 before we get to the point where we have to buy these set-top boxes. The more digital sets that are sold to new purchasers, the less it will cost to buy these boxes.
So, I do hope that the Senate will see the wisdom in what we've done. We're working closely with the House Members on this. We believe we'll reach an accommodation on the time and it will be a 2009 date. I urge the Senate not to adopt the McCain Amendment because it will destroy the process we are in – a very calculated process of ensuring that the auctions take place and that following the auctions there is enough time to satisfy the goal of raising money in order to get the transition through.
I don't know if anyone else wanted to speak in opposition to the McCain Amendment, but I urge the Senate not to adopt it.
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17th - |
Commerce Committee Approves Legislation to Implement the U.S.-Russian Polar Bear Treaty
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee today unanimously approved S. 2013, the United States-Russia Polar Bear Conservation and Management Implementation Act.
This bill, which implements the provisions of the Polar Bear Treaty signed by the United States and the Russian Federation, was introduced by Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and is...
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17th - |
Commerce Committee Approves Federal Trade Commission Nominations
- WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today approved the following nominations by unanimous consent:
William Kovacic to be a Federal Trade Commissioner
Thomas Rosch to be a Federal Trade Commissioner
PN842 - Coast Guard Admirals
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17th - |
Senate Commerce Committee Approves SPY BLOCK Act
- Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today reported S. 687, the Software Principles Yielding Better Levels of Consumer Knowledge Act or the “SPY BLOCK Act,” by unanimous consent. The bill would outlaw a number of activities that are associated with spyware and strengthen the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s enforcement author...
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Commerce Committee Approves Legislation to Advance Transportation Security
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The comprehensive legislation reasserts th...
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17th - |
Commerce Committee Approves Legislation to Amend the Age Restriction for Pilots
- Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee today approved a substitute amendment offered by Senator Burns to S. 65, a bill to amend age restrictions for pilots, by voice vote. The bill was introduced by Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.).
Since 1960, federal regulations have specified that individuals age 60 and older may not serve as airline pilots on an...
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17th - |
Commerce Committee Approves the Weather Modification Research and Technology Transfer Act of 2005
- Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee today approved S. 517, the Weather Modification Research and Technology Transfer Act of 2005 by voice vote. The bill is sponsored by Committee Member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas)
S. 517 establishes within the Department of Commerce the Weather Modification Advisory and Research Board (WMARB) to promote the ...
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17th - |
Commerce Committee Approves Extension of Aviation War Risk Insurance
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WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation unanimously approved today the “War Risk Extension Act of 2005,” S. 1102, introduced by Aviation Subcommittee Ranking Member Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) and co-sponsored by Subcommittee Chairman Conrad Burns (R-Mont.).
S. 1102 extends the Federal Government’s existing war risk insurance co...
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Senate Commerce Committee Approves the Engine Coolant and Antifreeze Bittering Agent Act of 2005
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15th - |
Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens Addresses U.S. Climate Change Science Program Workshop
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WASHINGTON, DC -- Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) today addressed the U.S. Climate Change Science Program Workshop. Chairman Stevens’ remarks focused on the need to rely on sound science when making policy decisions.
The Climate Change Science Program Workshop is being held over three days and is sponsored by 13 government agencies. More information about the c...
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15th - |
Chairman Stevens Introduces Legislation to Implement the U.S.-Russian Polar Bear Treaty
- Washington, D.C. – Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) has introduced the United States-Russia Polar Bear Conservation and Management Implementation Act to execute the provisions of the Polar Bear Treaty signed by the United States and the Russian Federation. Committee Co-Chairman Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) is a cosponsor of the bill.
...
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9th - |
Chairman Stevens Introduces Legislation to Repeal Section 5 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act
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8th - |
Commerce Committee Announces Open Forum on Decency
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Washington, D.C. – Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) today announced that the Full Committee is planning to hold an "Open Forum on Decency" on November 29, 2005. A specific time and location will be announced at a later time.
Representatives from wide variety of groups, including cable, broadcasting, and other content industries, are expected to attend ...
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4th - |
Senate Confirms
Shana Dale to be Deputy Administrator of NASA
- The U.S. Senate this afternoon confirmed Shana Dale to be Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration by Unanimous Consent. Ms. Dale received the unanimous support of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee when her nomination was reported out of the Committee on Wednesday, November 2, 2005. ###
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3rd - |
Passenger Rail Investment & Improvement Act Added to Budget Reconciliation Bill in Senate
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“I know it is highly unusual to add an authorizati...
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3rd - |
Senate Approves Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005
- WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Senate today passed the Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 as part of the Budget Reconciliation Bill by a vote of 52-47.
The legislation, offered by U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Co-Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), establishes two specific dates that will advance the transi...
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2nd - |
Commerce Committee Approves Nominations
- WASHINGTON, DC – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today approved the following nominations by unanimous consent:
Shana Dale to be Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mark Rosenker to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board
Kathryn Higgins to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board
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2nd - |
Chairman Stevens Argues Against
the Ensign Amendment
to Reduce Converter Box Program Funds
- Washington, D.C. – During debate today on the Senate’s Budget Reconciliation Act, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) opposed an amendment offered by Senator John Ensign (R-Nev.) which would divert $2 billion from a converter box subsidy program contained in the Commerce Committee-approved Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 20...
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2nd - |
Senate Commerce Committee Approves
the IP-Enabled Voice Communications and Public Safety Act of 2005
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During the mark-up...
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2nd - |
current Press Release |
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2nd - |
Opening Statement of Senator Ted Stevens
at Committee Mark-up of S.1063 and Nominees
- We are here today to consider S. 1063, the IP-Enabled Voice Communications and Public Safety Act of 2005. Public safety has been a focus of the Committee and has been deliberately woven into the Commerce Committee’s agenda this year, especially in the context of communications. The Committee’s agenda has included numerous public safety-related hearings and critical pieces of legislatio...
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Audio Clip | Video Clip
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