[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 89 (Tuesday, July 12, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                 IN SUPPORT OF H.R. 3626 AND H.R. 3636

                                 ______


                               speech of

                              HON. JON KYL

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 28, 1994

  Mr. KYL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3626, the Antitrust 
Reform Act, and the next bill on the agenda, H.R. 3636, the National 
Communications Competition and Information Infrastructure Act.
  I am voting for these bills today to keep them moving through the 
legislative process. However, while both represent steps in the right 
direction--toward greater competition in the telecommunications 
industry--I believe both are still fraught with far too much Government 
regulation and oversight.
  Our goal here should not be to carve out new turf for Government 
bureaucrats, or to carve up pieces of the telecommunications market for 
various competing interests. The communications policy we adopt should 
be focused on competition--consumer choice--and not on allocating 
markets or furthering Government intrusion, via regulation, into the 
communications industry.
  While everyone should have an opportunity to compete, no one is 
entitled to prevail in the marketplace. The Federal Government's 
responsibility is only to ensure that the conduct of competitors, once 
they have entered new lines of business, does not impede competition 
and is not in violation of antitrust laws. The goal is fair 
competition, recognizing that the essence of competition is that some 
will succeed--others will fail--based on how well--or how poorly--they 
serve their customers.
  A very simple way to measure the effectiveness of any communications 
policy is to determine how long it will take before this proposal 
achieves the stated goal of communications competition. If the answer 
is 5 years, 7 years, 10 years or more, then we ought to try again. The 
marketplace ought to be opened up as promptly as possible so that the 
American people can benefit from the wealth of new technologies that 
are becoming available, as well as improvements in price and quality of 
services that competition is sure to provide. And those benefits will 
be substantial.
  According to a recent Wharton Economic Forecasting Associates [WEFA] 
Group study, consumers stand to save as much as $63 billion a year. As 
many as 3.6 million new jobs will be created in the United States in 
the next decade.
  As I see it, the communications policy debate is about consumer 
choice and opportunity. If we permit long distance companies, local 
telephone companies, cable companies and others to compete on a level 
playing field, we'll give consumers that choice and business the 
opportunity to grow and prosper and create new jobs.
  I urge yes votes on these bills today to keep them moving to the 
Senate and conference. I am hopeful, however, that before the 
legislation is put to a final vote, the Senate and the conference 
committee will work to minimize Government regulation of the industry.

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