Some Members Balk : Senate Plan for TV Coverage of Sessions Told

Senate leaders on Thursday announced plans that they hope will lead to television coverage of Senate sessions, but several of the would-be stars continued to balk and the premiere--if it happens at all--is certain to be months away.

Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) and Minority Leader Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) proposed coupling a four-month, closed-circuit trial run of Senate telecasts with rules changes designed to streamline the chamber’s often-ponderous debates.

Under the bipartisan plan, the in-house broadcasts would begin not later than April 15 and end July 25, when the lawmakers would then have to vote on whether to let their show go public.

House Broadcasts

House sessions have been broadcast over a national cable channel called C-Span since 1979. But the more tradition-bound Senate has long resisted such innovation. Many senators claim that television might make them look silly or dull and could force them to mug for the cameras rather than engage in serious floor debates.

“We’re closer than we’ve ever been to television in the Senate,” Byrd said in announcing the proposal. “I am for the Stealth bomber, but I am not for a Stealth Senate,” he added, referring to the experimental weapon that cannot be detected on radar screens.

The leaders were clearly hoping to capitalize on a growing impatience among many members with the lethargic pace of Senate activities. For one thing, the average age of members is getting lower and many have begun grumbling about being kept from their families by long, unpredictable hours.

A Better Platform

Many senators also believe that the television coverage in the House has given a competitive advantage to members of that chamber who seek to topple incumbent senators. In addition, some members believe that television in the Senate would make it a better platform for those seeking the presidency.

Despite that enthusiasm, other senators questioned key elements of the television package in floor debate Thursday, sending clear signals that the plan faces a stiff floor fight.

Sen. J. Bennett Johnston (D-La.) worried that the presence of cameras would turn floor debates into “a spectacle, a charade” as lawmakers tailor their oratory for the home audience rather than for each other.

“Television is politics in the ‘80s,” Johnston argued. “Television would become the tail that wags the Senate dog.”

However, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) said that maintaining the Senate television blackout would be ridiculous. “My people in Alaska can watch the Diet (Parliament) in Japan on cable, but they can’t watch the Senate in the United States,” he said.

Sponsors said they hope to bring the package to a vote by next week. But, after hearing hours of objections, an exasperated Byrd indicated that the timetable might be too optimistic as he warned opponents that the issue would not fade away.

“It’s going to be a long, long summer on this,” he said.