Republicans Are Adding Weight to Reversal of FCC Ruling

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON, July 22 — Until recent days, the nation's largest media conglomerates had hoped that the House of Representatives would kill the growing political efforts to overturn their recent deregulation.

But in a stunning political development, the House now appears poised to support the reversal of a new rule that permits the nation's biggest TV networks to grow even larger.

The House began debate today on a spending measure that contains a provision that would overturn the new network ownership rule. Both supporters and critics of the rule say that the measure has broad bipartisan support and is likely to be approved this week.

Because a Senate committee recently approved a similar measure by a broad bipartisan majority, the movement in the House increases the likelihood that Congress will reverse at least some key elements of the new media ownership rules adopted last month by the Federal Communications Commission. In recent days, the White House has publicly joined the debate, saying that advisers have recommended that President Bush veto the legislation if it is passed by both houses.

Such a veto could be overridden by two-thirds of the voting members of the House and Senate.

The growing political movement to reverse the new rules is remarkable at a time when Washington's major political institutions and federal courts have been dominated by deregulatory thinkers. It was assumed that the House would defend the new rules and block any effort to change them. But that changed last week when 11 Republicans deserted their leaders to join with the 29 Democratic committee members to approve the measure in the legislation on the floor of the House tonight.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/23/business/media/23FCC.html?hp

[MoonGod]

1. Well would you look at that...

... Democracy rears its ugly head. :)

[NewJerseyDem]

2. I thought I'd never see the day

that house republicans would go against the president. Espectially when there is a veto threat out there. I would love to see the Republican House and Republican Senate override a veto even though I doubt he will use it when there is a risk of it being overridden.

But, hopefully it won't mysteriously dissappear in conference. I hope that Ted Stevens, Appropriations Commitee chair in the senate, will stop that from happening since he is against the FCC decision.