Date: 1981-01-15
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. television coverage of the U.S. Senate is .not a new proposal. I have been interested in this idea as early as the 93d Congress. On September 14. 1974. I introduced arid the Senate subsequently adopted Senate Resolution 452. which provided for television. radio. and photographic coverage of the inauguration proceedings of Vice President Nelson Rockefeller. Earlier in the 93d Congress and again in the first session of the 94th. I cosponsored a resolution Introduced by Senator Metcalf. generally authorizing television coverage of Senate proceedings. Both of these resolutions were referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration for further consideration. At the time. several questions regarding the extent of coverage and technological constraints needed to be resolved. Although no further formal action was taken on either of these measures. their introduction served to advance the Senates discussion of the concept. . In the first session of the 95th Congress. I also cosponsored Senate Resolution 177. which authorized television. radio. and photographic coverage of only the Senate proceedings related -to the contestqd Senate election in New Hampshire. This resolution was introduced on June 6. 1975. and after several days of Senate debate was adopted on June 9. The resolution contained an amendment which made its implementation contingent on the Senates reaching an overall time limitation on the proceedings in question. The text of the resolution also assumed that any broadcasting of the proceedings would be contingent on a mutually agreeable arrangement between the Senate leadership and the major networks regarding lighting and other technical logistics. Unfortunately. the Senate encountered serious difficulty in satisfying the terms of both contingencies. Consequently. broadcasting and photographic coverage of the proceedings related to the contested New Hampshire Senate seat never materialized. In the 95th Congress. I was the prlmary sponsor of two additional broadcasting resolutions. The first of the two resolutions that I introduced in the 95th Congress was Senate Resolution 74. which authorized closedcircuit television from the Senate Chamber to the office of each Member of the Senate. This resolution was referred to the Rules Committee where no further formal action by the committee was taken. The second resolution I introduced in that session was Senate Resolution 268. which authorized radio coverage of the proceedings related to the Panama Canal Treaty. This resolution was subsequently adopted allowing the entire country to follow every development of that historic treaty. My interest in providing selective coverage of the Senates proceedings continued into the 96th Congress. At that time. I initiated meetings with officials of the public and commercial networks to explore the feasibility of television coverage of the Senate deliberation of SALT. I believe the concept of television coverage of the Senates proceedings has merit. however. It still raises many complex policy and logistical issues. The resolution recently introduced by Senator BAKER has been referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. This will provide ample opportunity for my colleagues to thoroughly Investigate the extent to which television coverage can serve the .needs and purposes of the Senate. I remain open to the possibility that there may be a role for television coverage of Senate proceedings. I will continue to seek the advice of my colleagues as we explore together its potential value to the Senate.*