[ Home ] [ About DV ] [ Blog ] [ ]

02/02/2006

Christian Coalition Urges Senate to Stop Blocking Vote on 'Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act' Passed by House by Margin of 389-38
2nd Anniversary of Super Bowl Half-time Outrage and the Senate Has Done Nothing

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 /Christian Wire Service/ -- Christian Coalition of America is disappointed that the United States Senate has not acted on the “Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act” and for basically doing nothing since the 2004 Super Bowl half-time outrage when a performer exposed her breast before an audience of over 1 billion with tens of millions of young children watching. It is reprehensible that the United States Senate has not even had a vote on the "Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act" authored by Congressman Fred Upton, (R-MI), which passed in the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly by a margin of 389-38 last year. Clearly, the American people want the United States Senate to act to stop indecency on television.

The President of the Christian Coalition of America, Roberta Combs said, "It has now been two years since the outrageous Janet Jackson incident during the Super Bowl half-time show. It is unbelievable that exactly 2 years ago today I made a statement saying, ‘Congress needs to move aggressively to pass legislation which will finally and severely sanction those individuals in broadcasting companies and stations which violate decency standards. The American people demand it.’ And yet the United States Senate has still stalled a vote on a commonsense bill giving tools to the Federal Communications Commission to take the offensive against such gross violations of decency standards.”

The bill sponsored by Senator Sam Brownback, (R- KS), the "Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005", S. 193, will increase fines to $500,000 per violation of decency standards from the current paltry level of $32,500 per violation. The Senate also needs to adopt the provisions in the House bill, which will eventually lead to license revocation for repetitive violations of the decency standards. The American people are demanding that the Senate take action now.