Haley Stevens: “today Senator Inouye and I introduce the Communications Act of 2006. Just over a month ago, the Senate Commerce…”

“today Senator Inouye and I introduce the Communications Act of 2006. Just over a month ago, the Senate Commerce Committee concluded a series of 15 hearings on the state of our Nation's communications laws. We looked at what changes in the law would be required to spur innovation, encourage competition, and provide better service at a lower price for consumers. Senator Inouye and I, and the members of our committee heard from dozens of witnesses and still more who have offered comments and suggested language. Our staffs met with literally hundreds of people representing every point of view. The measure we introduce today is a working draft intended to stimulate discussion and is open for comments and suggestions for change. It attempts to strike a balance between competing industries, consumer groups and local government. Both Senator Inouye and I may propose additional changes based on comments offered by our members or interested parties. We will hold two hearings to take testimony on the draft bill and will listen to proposed changes. It is our hope that through a process of collaboration, we can draft a bill that represents a bipartisan consensus. The bill includes elements from a number of bills introduced by members of our committee from both sides of the aisle. The Call Home Act that Senator Inouye and I introduced last week would allow the FCC to take any action short of price regulation to reduce rates for members of our Armed Forces who call home.…”