July 9, 2002

Dear Friend,

Please join Loretta Lynch, President of the California Public Utilities Commission, and me next Monday, July 15, for an update on our efforts to preserve area code 310.

At my request, the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing last month on "Area Code Exhaustion: What Are the Solutions?"
Testifying as an expert witness, President Lynch stated that over the next three years, there will be 25 more area code splits in California unless the federal government takes steps to change the way the FCC assigns numbers.

According to President Lynch, 310 is California’s most threatened area code and is projected to be exhausted by mid-2003.

President Lynch said that there are two million unused telephone numbers in the 310 area code that cannot be assigned because of current rules.

We would like to brief you on our follow-up activities to keep the focus in Congress and at the FCC on these important issues.

What: Congressional Forum on the 310 area code -- sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jane Harman, in collaboration with the South Bay Chambers of Commerce

Who: Special Guest -- Loretta Lynch, President of the California PUC

Where: Torrance Cultural Arts Center, Toyota Community Meeting Hall 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance, CA 90503

When: Monday, July 15th at 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

I hope you can join us.

Sincerely,
Jane Harman
Member of Congress