Congress Predicted to Ignore Veto Threat; vote to block companies from owning more tv stations

Associated Press ^ | 11-11-03

[Brian S]

ALAN FRAM Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Lawmakers will probably ignore a White House veto threat and vote to block companies from owning more television stations, a pivotal senator said Tuesday.

If the prediction by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, comes true, President Bush will have to decide whether to veto a massive spending bill over the issue. It would be Bush's first veto and it would come less than a year before he faces re-election next November.

"If it's in an omnibus bill," Stevens said, using the term to describe the enormous spending measure, "that's not a vetoable item. He wouldn't veto the whole blasted thing because of that."

In June, the Republican-led Federal Communications Commission voted to let companies own stations serving up to 45 percent of the nation's viewers, an increase from the current 35 percent.

Stevens has supported blocking the FCC rule, which a federal appeals court has temporarily stayed. The House and Stevens' committee both voted this summer to include provisions thwarting the FCC ruling in a spending bill covering the Commerce, State and Justice departments.

Congressional aides and a lobbyist, speaking on condition of anonymity, said bargaining on the issue is still under way.

The matter is one of several that House-Senate negotiators must resolve before they can fashion a huge spending bill and let Congress adjourn for the year. They remain at odds over a Senate-passed provision - rejected by the House - blocking proposed Labor Department rules that could make it easier for employers to deny overtime to many white collar workers.

Aides said they expect lawmakers to drop or water down other provisions easing travel and trade restrictions with Cuba, and requiring labels identifying where packaged meat comes from.

Congress so far has completed work on four of the 13 spending bills for the budget year that started Oct. 1.

The House cleared a fifth bill last week, a $9.3 billion measure for military construction projects. Senate passage is possible this week.

Most if not all of the remaining eight spending measures are expected to be packaged into a giant bill that leaders hope Congress can approve next week.

The effort to expand the television station ownership cap has pitted the four major broadcast television networks - which would all be allowed to buy more stations - against local station owners and an array of liberal and conservative groups who say diverse views would be stifled.

The White House said again this week that if the spending bill contains language blocking the FCC rule, senior advisers would recommend that Bush veto the legislation.

"The administration believes that the new FCC media ownership rules more accurately reflect the changing media landscape ... while guarding against any undue concentration in the marketplace," the White House budget office said in a statement.