The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS BILL” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S8127-S8128 on June 12, 1995.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS BILL
Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I would like to use this time to rise in support of the telecommunications bill, the bill we have talked about last week and will continue on this week; hopefully to finish the bill early this week. I know we have talked about it a great deal. Last year there was considerable discussion.
It seems to me it comes along at a time when it is responding to what the American people said in 1994, and that is we ought to move away, have less Government, less regulation, and let the marketplace function. That is what this bill is designed to do. It seeks to remove some artificial governmental regulations, regulations that go beyond simply providing for fair competition. I think we want to move in that direction.
Times have changed a great deal. As some of my experience back with the Rural Electric Association showed, seeking to bring electricity to areas where there was relatively low density and where there were few people living, no one in the competitive business was really interested in serving those areas [[Page S8128]] that were very low in revenue. Hence, the cooperative effort of the rural electrics.
I think cooperation is necessary and will be here in the area of universal coverage. We need to provide with certainty that there will be telephone communications, and that is part of this bill. At the same time, we need to open it to full access in competition. So many things are happening, so many things are changing, so many things that will bring to a State like mine the opportunity to have all kinds of communications, indeed to conduct the kinds of businesses in Wyoming that you could not conduct without entry to an information network, without the kinds of things that will be provided here.
This bill is designed to remove restrictions on competition. I think that is what it should be all about. It is designed to create opportunities for investment and growth, not only in the communications system in this country but certainly global communications.
I do not want to take a great deal of time but I do rise in support of that concept. I think this bill does the things it is designed to do. I know there are differences of view. That is as it should be. There are great debates in this place. They are designed to show there is more than one alternative, otherwise there would not be a great debate. I am one who thinks, if we can set forth here the conditions that ought to be met in the case of local telephones before they expand, and long distance into the local, that is the way we ought to do it, and keep the substantive judgments of the Department of Justice at a minimum. The authority lies there, of course, to move in when there are unfair trade practices. That is as it should be.
So the result we look for, of course, is lower prices. We look for expanded options. We look for 1.5 to 3 million high-technology jobs that will be developed, and more exports. So this is a good step.
I look forward to supporting the bill. I look forward to the Senate completing its work this week so we can move on, then, to some of the other features.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Dakota.
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