WASHINGTON-President Clinton last week vetoed an appropriations bill that fosters antenna siting in Rock Creek Park and on other federal property in the nation’s capital, and threatened to veto a separate spending bill that funds the Federal Communications Commission.
The antenna-siting provision, authored by Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), is included in the District of Columbia spending bill for fiscal 2000.
Bell Atlantic Mobile lobbied aggressively for the measure after running into local opposition and delays in its five-year effort to erect two cellular towers in Rock Creek Park.
While saying the legislation includes “unwarranted intrusions into local citizens’ decisions about local matters,” Clinton did not single out the Rock Creek siting clause as objectionable.
In a related matter, the White House said it wanted Congress to pass a provision in the Senate Commerce appropriations bill that would enable the FCC to recover licenses from bankrupt wireless firms. The White House also said there was a risk of FCC furloughs if the agency does not receive funding requested by the administration.
Meanwhile, Congress passed stop-gap funding legislation last Tuesday to keep the federal government running the next three weeks as lawmakers complete work on appropriations bills.
