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Frist Seeks Senate Vote to Raise Cap on FCC Indecency Fines

May 17, 2006  •  Post A Comment

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., is seeking to schedule a Senate vote as soon as possible on legislation that would raise the cap on Federal Communications Commission indecency fines from $32,500 to $325,000, according to a spokesperson.

Sen. Frist’s spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday that the lawmaker was seeking unanimous permission of his Senate colleagues to bring the measure to the floor, bypassing a vote by the Senate Commerce Committee. Under standard Senate procedures, it takes only a single senator to block a Senate floor vote, and he or she can do so anonymously.

A recent effort by Sen. Frist to bring pending House indecency legislation directly to the Senate floor was stymied after it was blocked with an anonymous hold. That measure would raise the cap on indecency fines to $500,000.

The bill that is currently Sen. Frist’s focus was sponsored by Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.