. >> reporter: senate investigators say that since 2006, verizon, at&t and qwest have raked in $650 million in fees. still, today a phone industry representative argued that steps have been taken to stop cramming. >> there has been improvement, but it remains a very significant, very pervasive problem. >> verizon and others insist they do not tolerate cramming and that customer who is complain will be offered a refund. lisa myers, nbc news, washington. >>> and one note on the ongoing debt ceiling fight and the talks tonight, the credit rating agency moody's put america's aaa rating on review for a downgrade, citing uncertainty on a deal before the treasury deadline august 2. moody's has already warned if the debt ceiling deal doesn't include significant progress in getting this country's fiscal problems under control, that aaa rating will be in jeopardy. >>> overseas the scandal grows and so does the anger surrounding the media empire of rupert murdock. the phone hacking scandal has already taken a big prize away from him. his company, news corporation, badly wanted to buy the big satellite

. -- qwest. these competitors are so reliant upon their largest competing wireless providers and not only have the wire line side, but are wireless providers and can sell provision to what they are using to connect back to the towers, internet, and back to the network. we feel there's barriers there, not just the public interest organizations, but others have pointed out and shown to be a high percentage of the cost they incur to provide service and compete with the large percentage of the special access supply. >> guest: chris, anything? >> guest: i think this is an area, and there's some matt mentioned we hope would be worked out by, you know, within the industry. when we look at these sorts of issues, our initial hope is if it's an industry and an issue or an issue to be worked out among our members, we really try to facilitate that and make that happen to the extent that it can, so bsh but, again, it's before the commission, and i think rightly so. it's something the commission should make a

in time that not just at&t and verizon are making, but also the major dominant wire line provider, qwest when sprint was last complaining about this. it's not that there aren't other options, but it is that these competitors are so reliant upon the vertically-integrated at&t and verizon who are wireless providers and can use a lot of what they're using to connect their towers back to the internet and back to the phone network. there are barriers that not just the public interest organizations or people like me have pointed out, but other carriers have shown to be a high imagine of the costs they're incurring to compete with those who control a large percentage of that special access supply. >> host: chris, anything? >> guest: i mean, i think this is an area, and there are a couple that matt mentioned that we would hope would be worked out, by, you know, within the industry. when we look at these sorts of issues, our initial hope is if it's an industry issue or if it's an issue that can be worked out among our members, we really try to facilitate that and make that happen to the extent th

. >> qwest system worst-case scenario, no compromise comes. we get to what is first, is the president prepared to invoke the 14th amendment and unilaterally raise the debt limit and simply overall everyone and a 1? >> listen, there are no offense. there are no exit's. congress has to do his job. it is unfathomable that over the next five or six days, maybe sooner, if sanity prevails, there will be a compromise. it will have make sure that he country make sure it pays its obligation. we have put on credit card, congress has put on the credit card, spending that they have to pay for. in this effort to reduce the deficit, what we are saying is let's stop putting so much on the credit-card. if you want to be an optimist, there are huge consensus that we need to reduce the deficit. actually, we all generally agree by how much to reduce it. we are debating on how to do it. most sensible people and most deficit reduction plans, whether republican or democrat, have a balanced approach and that is what the country needs to make week comp down the fisca

do you have an idea of who is adopting, kind of folks qwest. >> guest: not that i'm aware of yet.uest: further on the idea, if congress were to broach the issue is a company that does offer some "do not track" technology of congress were to mandate some "do not track" technology, any thoughts on where microsoft might come out? >> guest: we will have to see where that falls out as well. >> host: finally jacqueline beauchere, with bing, are those being searches saved? the people have confidence that their searches go away or are the safe? >> guest: we are not we are not going to be serving ads in those searches. excuse me, particularly in the e-mail sector. we are not going to be when you are sending an e-mail we are not going to be serving up ads that say what is going on in that e-mail or a context that would allow that. >> host: what brings you to d.c.? >> guest: among other things, these issues which are very important to microsoft. there's a conference going on locally about cybersecurity and the strategy summit. >> host: do you work with dhs on those types of issues? >> guest:

. >> we had great reporting there also from richard qwest. >> his voice carries. >> he has a loud voice. we have a number of people covering this story this morning. >> 7:00 some of the testimony begins. 7:30 we'll hear from the police who resigned amidst this scandal and continue to follow the latest. his days in news corp may have been numbered and this may be before the scandal broke. the company is considering replacing murdoch with its current chief operating officer. many insiders say if things don't go well on the stand today that move could be pushed ahead quickly. >> clearly it will be a tough day for rupert murdoch and his son james, testifying. rupert murdoch is an elderly man. whether he leaves this year or next year or five years, there's been talk about succession plans for him. analysts have been thinking for days it may happen. >> murdoch would stay on the company's chairman if he decides to give up his duties as chief executive officer. >> news corp got a taste of its own medicine yesterday when hackers took control of the sun website. hackers posted a fake news story.

we estimate at&t and qwest and verizon have more than $650 million. those companies from this themselves. that's pretty big money. and so anyway, we've got a real problem here and we want to do the right thing and we want to protect people and that's the end of me, so i call upon senator i ought. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i want to thank you for holding this important hearing. i know you and your staff with a great deal of time and effort into preparing report the committee released today. i also want to thank those that the federal and state levels was pursued against those perpetrating fraud on consumer satisfaction which recognized the somatic and income attorney general of illinois, with whom i worked with when i was the attorney general of new hampshire and she has been very given this scam an eye out welcome her this morning. from that decade, new hampshire has been responding to the practice commonly known as cramming. when it served as the state's top one person officer ever saw a consumer protection bureau as general madigan does come which

we estimate that at&t and qwest and verizon have earned more than $650 million. those three companies from this. that's pretty money. that's pretty big money. and so anyway, we've got a real problem here. and we want to do the right thing and we want to protect people, and that's the end of me, so i call on senator ayotte. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i want to thank you for holding this important hearing. i know that you and your staff have put a great deal of time and effort into preparing investigative report the committee released today. i also want to thank those at the federal and state levels who have pursued enforcement actions against those perpetrating this fraud on consumers. .. >> found to be cramming or ban them entirely from access to the telephone company billing apparatus to prevent further harm to consumers. as we continue to examine this issue and discuss how to best address it, we must not lose sight of the fact that cramming affects regular hard working americans who are being scammed out of their hard earned dollars. as a former prosecutor, it