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Senate Hands Another Defeat To FCC
The U.S. Senate on Sept. 16 handed the Federal Communications Commission its second major setback in two weeks in its attempt to let giant media companies get even bigger.
With a vote of 55 to 40 on a seldom-used "resolution of disapproval," sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), the Senate voted to wipe out the full slate of controversial media rules put forth by the FCC on June 30.
The resolution, so bipartisan that it was co-sponsored by Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), came two weeks after a federal appeals court in Philadelphia issued an order blocking the FCC from imposing the unpopular new rules, which allow single companies to control more TV and radio stations, as well as newspapers, in a single market.
Linda Foley, president of The Newspaper Guild-CWA, said Republican members of the FCC "chose to ignore the wishes of hundreds of thousands of citizens" by issuing the rules in spite of broad public opposition from groups ranging from peace activists to unions to the National Rifle Association.
"The Senate listened to those voices," Foley said. "The FCC's deregulation of media is bad for democracy. Today, democracy rose up to let the people be heard."
The resolution will go to the House next, where it is expected to face more opposition. The White House is pledging to uphold corporate interests and veto the resolution if it passes.
Dorgan called the Senate vote a "victory for the people. The public interest prevailed over the big corporate interests today here in the Senate."
He said he believes there are sufficient votes in the House to pass the resolution, but House leaders have indicated they may try to block it. He cautioned that such a move could have political consequences.
"This is an issue the American people understand very well," he said. "They don't want fewer and fewer people controlling what we all see, read and hear."
With a vote of 55 to 40 on a seldom-used "resolution of disapproval," sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), the Senate voted to wipe out the full slate of controversial media rules put forth by the FCC on June 30.
The resolution, so bipartisan that it was co-sponsored by Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), came two weeks after a federal appeals court in Philadelphia issued an order blocking the FCC from imposing the unpopular new rules, which allow single companies to control more TV and radio stations, as well as newspapers, in a single market.
Linda Foley, president of The Newspaper Guild-CWA, said Republican members of the FCC "chose to ignore the wishes of hundreds of thousands of citizens" by issuing the rules in spite of broad public opposition from groups ranging from peace activists to unions to the National Rifle Association.
"The Senate listened to those voices," Foley said. "The FCC's deregulation of media is bad for democracy. Today, democracy rose up to let the people be heard."
The resolution will go to the House next, where it is expected to face more opposition. The White House is pledging to uphold corporate interests and veto the resolution if it passes.
Dorgan called the Senate vote a "victory for the people. The public interest prevailed over the big corporate interests today here in the Senate."
He said he believes there are sufficient votes in the House to pass the resolution, but House leaders have indicated they may try to block it. He cautioned that such a move could have political consequences.
"This is an issue the American people understand very well," he said. "They don't want fewer and fewer people controlling what we all see, read and hear."