Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Proposal to merge NTIA with TA sent to Congress

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2003 16:44:31 -0400

Proposal to merge NTIA with TA sent to Congress
July 17 13:08:00, 2003

WASHINGTON—The Bush administration today sent Congress legislation to reorganize
the Commerce Department by merging the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration and the Technology Administration.
“This administration understands that our global marketplace has changed and that
telecom and technology operate together, not separately. We need to adjust our
thinking and adjust our structure to keep pace with the world, our economy and
innovation,” said Commerce Secretary Evans. Prospects for passage of the
legislation are unclear.

Some key lawmakers have expressed concern about spectrum policy being diminished
under the proposed arrangement.  The White House proposal would fold NTIA, which
advises the president on telecom policy and manages federal government spectrum,
into the Technology Administration.Earlier in the day, the chairman of the Senate
Commerce Committee said he does not see support within the committee for the
Department of Commerce reorganization that would transfer the NTIA under the
purview of the Technology Administration. “We have looked at that proposal, but I
don’t think there is support for that here,” said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

McCain also doubted the importance of the proposal. “To be honest with you, to me
it is not really the most important issue of the day,” he said.The Senate Commerce
Committee is unlikely to have a hearing on the reorganization proposal this year,
said McCain. “I don’t see a hearing happening between now and when we go out of
session, but if the secretary of commerce calls up and says this is a critical
issue, and he would like to testify on it, we would be glad to accommodate him,”
said McCain.
The lack of support of the Senate Commerce Committee could prove to be a critical
roadblock to the reorganization proposal, which must be approved by Congress. In
lieu of the reorganization proposal, the Senate Commerce Committee Thursday sent
to the Senate a bill that would reauthorize the Technology Administration in its
current form.

http://rcrnews.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=14342

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