WASHINGTON-Several conferees named to reconcile House and Senate telecommunications reform bills have interests in wireless issues.
Among the House’s 34 negotiators (19 Republicans and 15 Democrats) are Joe Barton, R-Texas, chairman of Commerce subcommittee on oversight and investigations and a strong advocate of switched wireless resale.
Rick White, R-Wash., and Dan Frisa, R-N.Y., two House freshmen on the conference committee, could join others in resisting any push by Barton to include switched resale in the telecommunications reform bill.
Also from the House are Scott Klug, R-Wis., co-sponsor of the antenna siting amendment, and Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., who has been fighting on behalf of cities, states and counties to protect local zoning authority.
Influential House members on the conference committee include Commerce Committee Chairman Thomas Bliley, R-Va., telecommunications subcommittee Chairman Jack Fields, R-Texas, and ranking Democrats John Dingell of Michigan and Edward Markey of Massachusetts.
The Senate’s 11 conferees are Commerce Committee Chairman Larry Pressler, R-S.D., Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, John McCain, R-Ariz., Conrad Burns, R-Mont., Slade Gorton, R-Wash., Trent Lott, R-Miss., Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, Wendell Ford, D-Ky., James Exon, D-Neb., and John Rockefeller, D-W.Va.
President Clinton has vowed to veto telecommunications legislation, saying it is bad for consumers and competition.
