House USF Reform Bill Sponsors Not Optimistic on Passage This Year

摘要

The leading sponsors of House legislation to revamp the Universal Service Fund said that the bill has almost no chance of passage this year and that approval by Congress this session of any USF reform language as part of a broader telecom measure is in doubt. Reps. Lee Terry (R., Neb.) and Rick Boucher (D., Va.) both have told TR that they hold out little hope that a bill they sponsored — HR 5072, the Universal Service Reform Act — would get through the House by the end of year, despite spending months vetting many of the details through industry groups. "Passing the USF bill as a stand-alone in the House is probably closer to 0% than anything else," Rep. Terry said.