Political Quotes

“believe it or not my colleagues on the other side of the aisle see no need for continuing the vital efforts we in this body have made over the last two decades to diversify the ownership ranks in America's broadcast and cable industries. Last week the House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee indicated its plans to do away with the Federal Communications Commission's [FCC] minority tax certificate program that has been instrumental in expanding the number of minority-owned and operated television, radio, and cable stations across our country and bringing more citizens into the great public policy debates of our time. Despite the fact that diversity in the broadcast and cable industries has been constitutionally upheld as a vital goal of U.S. telecommunications policy, despite the fact that today only 2.9 percent of such firms are minority controlled, despite the fact that undercapitalization continues to be a major impediment to minority representation in these fields, the GOP sees the FCC's minority tax certificate program as a needless initiative. Mr. Speaker, the information age is upon us but unfortunately those individuals and communities that are presently underserved and could potentially benefit most from advances in technology and access to the airwaves are still standing on the shoulder of the superhighway in the dust being kicked up by the megacorporations tooling down the road past them. Apparently, this suits the new majority party just fine.”