Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., wants public safety legislation passed this...

bipartisan bill with Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas. Hutchison “wants this to happen,” he said. “It’s going to be our bill.” No bill is easy to pass now, and with Congress recessing in August there’s not much time left to act, Rockefeller said. But he thinks it will happen if supporters can get more lawmakers talking about the bill, he said. Unfortunately the spectrum issue is not a “sexy topic” for all legislators, said former Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials President Dick Mirgon, also on the call. But it’s a “very sexy topic” for public safety, Rockefeller said. Rockefeller said his bill is “fully paid for” and “won’t cost the taxpayer a dime.” Citing FCC and White House estimates, Rockefeller said it would cost $11 billion to $13 billion to build the public safety network, and voluntary incentive auctions would raise $28 billion. That leaves some money left over to keep the public safety network up to date, and about $9 billion to $10 billion for budget deficit reduction, Rockefeller said. The deficit reduction piece should make the bill attractive for Republicans, particularly in the House where the GOP has the majority, he said. Rockefeller said he has had positive talks with NAB President Gordon Smith. Smith “relaxes when he hears the word ‘voluntary'” in conjunction with incentive auctions, Rockefeller said. “Nobody has to turn back the spectrum but it is in the public interest for them to do so.” The spectrum bill will specifically require that rural areas must be covered, Rockefeller said: “Am I a little bit sensitive about that, coming from West Virginia? Yes I am.”