Small phone companies went to Capitol Hill to make their case for legislation including broadband in the universal service program. But lawmakers warned that communications issues face stiff competition for attention in a Congress preoccupied with the economy, health care, energy and a Supreme Court nominee. "We need the universal service program to include broadband," Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., said in a meeting with the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies. He said in an interview that Congress should exempt the program from accounting rules under the federal Antideficiency Act that bar programs from spending money that isn't in their budgets. nnFunding for USF typically lags spending because of the way it's collected, and the program has been granted several exemptions over the years. The most recent exemption expires at year-end. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., has introduced S-348 to exempt the program permanently. Though the rules' purpose "on the surface, sounds great," strict compliance has caused problems for the industry, Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, told OPASTCO. He has co- sponsored S-348. A similar bill in the House, HR-2135, has two co-sponsors. Begich promised to help ensure that the USF program -- which he said has brought Alaska up-to-date in technology -- is sustainable long-term. "It will take a lot of work" to agree on USF legislation, he said. Connolly said he didn't envision Congress taking up legislation anytime soon.
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