As expected, Commerce Secy. Donald Evans sent congressional leade...
As expected, Commerce Secy. Donald Evans sent congressional leadership draft bill Thurs. to postpone for 2 years deadline for receipt of advanced wireless auction proceeds. He told top brass on Capitol Hill and Vice President Cheney that Office of…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
Management & Budget’s preliminary scoring indicated that proposal would reduce surplus by $1 billion in fiscal 2002 and increase it by that amount in fiscal 2004. Proposed language would shift statutory deadlines for completing auctions of 2 bands under consideration for 3G services to Sept. 30, 2004, from Sept. 30, 2002. “Based on revised assumptions for the current spectrum auction schedule, the midsession review of the budget baseline already reflects the shift in auction receipts from 2002 to 2004,” Evans wrote. He said any law that would reduce receipts was subject to pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) requirements under Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act (BEA). “The BEA requires that official PAYGO scoring continue to use the FY 2002 budget baseline and thus score the cost to FY [fiscal year] 2002,” Evans said. “The Administration will work with Congress to ensure that any unintended sequester of spending does not occur under current law or through enactment of any proposals that are part of the President’s program.” Proposal would shift deadlines for depositing proceeds in U.S. Treasury for auctioning 1710-1755 MHz and 2110-2150 MHz and would provide more time to arrive at 3G decisions, Evans said. “Chairman Powell of the Federal Communications Commission and I both believe that it is imperative that the final allocation decision be the best possible one and that additional time and continued hard work are needed to reach that decision,” Evans wrote. While govt. wants to identify spectrum for 3G services as quickly as possible, he said, current statutory deadline “does not provide sufficient time to conclude the identification process and conduct an auction before Sept. 30, 2002.” NTIA Dir. Nancy Victory told reporters Wed. that language would be sent to Hill this week (CD Sept 6 p1). Besides Cheney, Evans sent letters to Senate Majority Leader Daschle (D-S.D.), House Speaker Hastert (R-Ill.), House Majority Leader Armey (R- Tex.), Sen. Lott (R-Miss.). Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. Hollings (D-S.C.), House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.), House Minority Leader Gephardt (D-Mo.), Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.), Rep. Dingell (D-Mich.).