Byron Dorgan: “let me say again this amendment is not related to the subject of the Defense authorization. The only reason I offer it…”

“let me say again this amendment is not related to the subject of the Defense authorization. The only reason I offer it is because the amendment offered by Senator Brownback, which itself is not related to Defense authorization, was offered last Friday. I indicated when he offered that amendment, which I support, that I would second-degree it, because we second-degreed it in the Commerce Committee, and we merged two issues: indecency and the issue of broadcast ownership rules and regulations. When my colleague from Kansas offers an indecency amendment to the Defense authorization bill, I don't have much choice except to offer the amendment we offered to it in the Commerce Committee. If this bill is stripped of all extraneous amendments, I will understand that and I will not complain. But if this bill is going to proceed with amendments of the type that came from the Commerce Committee, then I insist it also include the issue of broadcast ownership rules and regulations that were adopted by the Federal Communications Commission. Let me describe what all this is about with respect to broadcast ownership.”