Will The Congressional Elections Matter To Rural Telecom?

Excerpt from Tom Smith's October 6, 2008 Back Page:

As the U.S. Congress has struggled over the last two weeks to finalize a “rescue” package for the financial services industry, the turmoil that we have seen may be a window into the future of the next Congressional session that begins in January, 2009. The next session of Congress may be a replay of the tumultuous days of the early 1990’s when congressional Democrats, also then in the majority, were so fractious and divided that they were unable to muster majorities to pass any legislation of importance.

In those days, the divisions between liberal Democrats and moderate Democrats gave Republicans added leverage in the congressional policymaking process. Eventually, this turmoil led to a Republican takeover of Congress led by then-Representative Newt Gingrich (R-GA) who would go on to weed out his moderate Republican rivals and become the Speaker of the House.

But, will a Congress in turmoil have any impact in 2009 on the telecommunications industry, especially rural and independent carriers? Would carriers simply be better off focusing on the business of telecommunications service delivery? Should the rural and independent telecommunications industry turn a blind eye to what some voters call the “shenanigans” on Capitol Hill or the deliberations at the FCC?

Ignore Congress at your own risk! That is the mantra usually reserved by members of Congress when they reach an impasse with a government agency or some out-of-favor industry group. Nevertheless, what happens in the Congress and at the FCC is important as long as the telecommunications sector is a regulated industry.

(The full text of the Back Page can be viewed by clicking here.)