While there are ‘dramatic’ differences between outgoing Senate Co...

In meeting with reporters Fri., Furchtgott-Roth said controversial bills such as Breaux-Nickles (S-2430) wouldn’t sail through even though Hollings -- legislation’s chief critic -- no longer can block them with power of his chairmanship. FCC is likely to make some of the changes sought in Breaux-Nickles and Tauzin-Dingell (HR-1542), making push for legislation less pertinent, he said. And McCain still is likely to have powerful critics, said Furchtgott- Roth, now fellow with American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Sen. Lott (R-Miss.), who is expected to become Senate majority leader, “has views on communications policy that don’t coincide with McCain’s views,” Furchtgott-Roth said. And “Hollings will have a much smaller platform to speak from, but he won’t go away,” he said. Hollings spokesman told us that online privacy bill would continue to be one of his top priorities in 108th Congress. While there may not be “tangible change” in committee’s agenda, there almost certainly will be “change in tone,” Furchtgott-Roth said. FCC Chmn. Powell doesn’t seem to be driven by signals from Capitol Hill and those signals are likely to get better, he said, as Powell has better relationship with McCain than he did with Hollings. Furchtgott-Roth said he wasn’t sure what type of spectrum policies McCain-controlled Commerce Committee would pursue. He said it’s not likely it would address Sen. Kerry’s (D-Mass.) Nextwave auction opt-out bill (S-2869) because FCC is likely to handle issue administratively. Furchtgott-Roth said FCC has been “suicidal” in administering spectrum auctions. “It’s difficult to understand their reluctance to admit they were wrong about the Nextwave auction,” he said. Furchtgott-Roth said FCC is moving too slowly on many proceedings, mainly because of fears that rules will be overturned in court.