Legislation Introduced in Senate to Eliminate Lifeline Funding for Cellphone Service

Senators Vitter (R-LA) and Inhofe (R-OK) introduced legislation today to end Lifeline funding for cellphone service.  While the text of the legislation has not been posted, in a statement about the bill Sen. Vitter said that the program "has expanded far beyond its original intent," presumably referring to the decision to permit wireless prepaid carriers to provide Lifeline service in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  The statement describes Lifeline as a "welfare program" and notes that Sen. Vitter had introduced the legislation as an amendment to the Senate budget resolution in March, which was defeated in a vote along party lines (and discussed in a prior blog entry). We will post the text of the legislation when it becomes available.

Update: The text of the bill is now available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c113:S.874.IS: