Judd Gregg: “let us remember what is happening. Basically, the Congress is trying to step into the middle of a regulatory process…”

“let us remember what is happening. Basically, the Congress is trying to step into the middle of a regulatory process, which is ongoing and has not reached a conclusion, and short circuit it. Eighty thousand comments have been received relative to these regulations. They have not been promulgated in final form. In fact, I know the Department is aggressively reviewing those comments, and I expect substantive changes in significant parts of the regulatory proposal as it has been put forth. So it is premature to step in at this time. It is not ripe. The matter is not before us at this time. If the regulations come down in a format that is unacceptable, we as a Congress have the right to step forward and revoke those regulations, as is occurring right now relative to the FCC rule that was promulgated by that regulatory agency. So we are stepping forward at the wrong time in the wrong place and we are short circuiting the regulatory process in doing it in this manner. Secondly, what we have heard for the last few days and what we have heard nationally from some of the promotional groups that advocate on the other side of this issue is misrepresentation on the number of people involved. They have been saying 8 million people will be affected in a negative way. That number is absolutely bogus.…”