Senate Proceeding on Oct 8th, 2009 :: 1:43:10 to 1:54:30
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1:42:58 to 1:43:19( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: quorum call: ms. mikulski: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from maryland. ms. mikulski: mr. presi strongly oppose the senator from arizona's amendment to strike the fun commerce department's public telecommunications -- the senate is in a quorum call. ms. mikulski: mr. president, i

1:43:10 to 1:54:30( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Barbara Mikulski

1:43:20 to 1:43:40( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: ask that the call of the quorum be vacated. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. mikulski: as i said, i strongly oh, pros the senator from arizona oh -- oppose senator from arizona's amendme to strike the funding in the bill for the commerce telecommunicationses facilities. his amendment would eliminate $20 million.

1:43:41 to 1:44:02( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: that $20 million does for competitive grants for public radio and tv stations around the nation to upgrade their infrastructure and technology. his amendment would terminate the grant program in 2010. he budget proposed to eliminate the

1:44:03 to 1:44:23( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: program so congress should do too. well, we are separate -- in this case the c.j.s. committee respectfully disagrees with the president's budget on this. we know our president inherited a terrible mess. we know the previous

1:44:24 to 1:44:46( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: administration ran up horrific debts and deficits and now as we try to president i looking for modest cuts to the but here with the public -- public facilities, this is ectly what we need during these troubled

1:44:47 to 1:45:08( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: economic times is to prode quality access of quality tv to ordinary people who might not b able to afford cable t satellite tv, dishv. so i'm ready to dish on the mccain amendment. we need jobs in this country,

1:45:09 to 1:45:29( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: and we need to have -- people know their government is on their side and that they could have access television. public sure, it's a public option. we like the public option on tv, but we know for our local stations, where donations are

1:45:30 to 1:45:51( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: down and they are revenue starved, you can't put necessary antenna and other technology by doing it on bake sales and dialing for dollars. they need help government, and this is what this does. a modest $20 million that will help replace equipment like

1:45:52 to 1:46:12( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: antennas, power telephone hookups, kinds of things that would improve technology to keep up with changing requirements. grants are competive. there are no pork-barrel this, no earmarks in this. the grants are competive. the commerce department selects

1:46:13 to 1:46:33( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: what are compelling needs in communities. and by the way, the local community has to provide 25% of local cost share s it's free ride. now, the president's budget and the amendment's sponsor argue that this technology program is

1:46:34 to 1:46:55( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: no longer needed. because all radio -- public radio and tv stations are already going from analog to digital, so we don't need it. well, this argument is flawed for two reasons: first, digital conversion has never been nor

1:46:56 to 1:47:17( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: ever will be the sole purpose of the public telecommunications facility stuff. the public telecommunications faciti to help public radio and tv upgrade their infrastructure and buy new equipment.

1:47:18 to 1:47:38( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: digital conversion equipment is eligible, but that's not all. now, i'm saying this because i -- you know, not only do we provide public tv -- i mean, it's great to have the corporation for public broadcasting. that's about content, about content, but you need to have an infrastructure to d content.

1:47:39 to 1:48:00( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: in many of our commu infrastructure is worn, it's dated, it's 20, 22 years old, so they are looking to replace it. and guess what? creates jobs, jobs, jobs, in those local communities. it takes talented men and women to put

1:48:01 to 1:48:22( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: tower up, to important new digital equipment. so broadcast to people, we can broadcast quality, and we have people going to work putting up and replacing dated last year, this program received almost $50 million in

1:48:23 to 1:48:43( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: applications but had only $20 million to award. this funding is really importa in rural and underserved areas. last year, program received 57 applications from native american communities alone. the president and the senator from arizona argue that it's not

1:48:44 to 1:49:04( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: need because the corporation for public pick i'll repeat read the fine print here. the corporation is operations and programming. it does not provide funding for new infrastructure.

1:49:05 to 1:49:27( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: it is about infrastructure. just like we want to have money to build our highways, we need to have super information highways, and this helps the public facilities be able to do it. they depend on the commerce

1:49:28 to 1:49:48( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: department to do this. this program has built the public broadcasting system, and it ensures that the american public has access across the nation. now, this isn't senator mikulski talking because she is the chair of the hold

1:49:49 to 1:50:13( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: i got a letter as did my ranking member from 21 members of the senate, including the chairman of the commerce committee, asking us to put in into committee to fund this. we could only afford to do $20 million, the same as last year. and why -- let me quote from their letter.

1:50:14 to 1:50:36( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: for some four decades, ptfp has served as a infrastructure program to build a public broadcasting system of radio and tv stations that reach 95% of the american people. what does this do? it maintains infrastructure for transmitters,

1:50:37 to 1:50:57( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: the deaf, towers, and antennae. now, it has been drasticcally underfunded in last years, since suffering an 18% cut in 2002 and 2003. over the years, p.t.f. has foregone $270 million in federal funds over the authorized level during the last i'm not going to sound like an accountant here.

1:50:58 to 1:51:19( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: i want to sound like i accountability to my communities. i want them to have access to public tv and public radio and the technology to transmit it's often been ptfp's preservation role has often been the most important, says the letter from

1:51:20 to 1:51:41( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: because it's the only source of federal emergency funds for public radio and tv in the event of an emergency. after katrina and stations in the gulf awarded these emergency grants so that they could start rebroadcasting. without those funds, many commities would be vulnerable

1:51:42 to 1:52:02( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: to the compounded effect of losing local news and the kinds of programs they needed as they were struggling to return home or rebuild their home. on the average, according to the letter from my 21 colleagues, including the chairman of the commerce committee, stations

1:52:03 to 1:52:23( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: coverage these p.t.f. funds by an so this is a local -- a federal-local partnership. p.t.f. funding is about providing and in meant programs. it's meant a way to make community colleges and the way

1:52:24 to 1:52:44( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: they have done distance learning. many of the programs, many of those early children's programs often help get children learning ready. content, but content cannot be delivered without infrastructure. du

1:52:45 to 1:53:05( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: weeks this summer as i liv a rehabilitation facility, getting physical therapy, many of my constituents said well, isn't it great to watch pub we can see what's going on in the world. they love the show," even though it's not

1:53:06 to 1:53:26( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: called that anymore, to get news about what's goi on in the coun they love to hear public debate in a civic, civil enjoyed "mystery theater." at the sam excited that their grandchildren were able either for -- at the preschool level or the work that it was doing in community

1:53:27 to 1:53:48( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: there are a lot of things that government does that's unpopular things it does that's very popular with the american people is public we have got to maintain quality content and we have maintain quality infrastructure, and because of that, i really urge the defeat of the m

1:53:49 to 1:54:12( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: amendment eliminating $20 million and essentially zapping those antenna and transmission facilities we need. there are other things that we can zap. let's not public radio. mr. president, i yield the floor and note the the presiding officer: the clerk

1:54:13 to 1:54:18( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: will call the