Political Quotes

“I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.R. 1108, to extend the Federal Communications Commission's authority to auction spectrum. Congress has never let the FCC's spectrum auction authority lapse before, and we can't do it now. As I noted in my earlier comments, spectrum is critical to our modern communications system--something that, actually, Senator Rounds has spoken so eloquently to--so we have to keep it going. We need an FCC and an NTIA that respect all Federal incumbent uses of spectrum, especially those uses that protect our national security. Again, I acknowledge the comments of Senator Rounds. As we consider the reauthorization of the FCC's auction authority, it is important to recognize we are entering a really new era in the United States' spectrum strategy. This new strategy has to be comprehensive to ensure our remaining spectrum is put to its highest and best use, and we must ensure we don't impact or interfere with our national security as we try to get further benefits from the civilian sector for spectrum utilization. H.R. 1108's 2-month extension would allow for the further development of this comprehensive approach. As I mentioned earlier, folks are really working on that, and we don't want to take the pressure off. We want to keep the pedal to the metal and see if they can reach an agreement. Importantly, H.R.…”