[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 4, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H112-H113]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION

  The SPEAKER. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from 
Michigan [Mr. Dingell] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I am today introducing five pieces of 
legislation that received overwhelming bipartisan support in the last 
Congress. They cover a range of important issues the 104th Congress 
must address: telecommunications reform, Superfund reform, safe 
drinking water, and interstate waste and flow control.
  These bills are largely the same as the final versions of the 
legislation written or acted upon by the Commerce Committee or the 
House in the last Congress. Interstate waste and flow control passed 
the House by unanimous consent. Safe drinking water was approved under 
the suspension calendar. Superfund was approved by a 44-0 margin in 
committee. And the House approved telecommunications reform by a vote 
of 423-5.
  The telecommunications legislation will reform our Nation's outdated 
telecommunications laws, and create an environment where competition, 
rather than government regulation, will govern the services that 
customers will have available. The text of the bill that I am 
introducing today is identical to last year's, with two exceptions:
  First, the requirement for the Justice Department to hold a hearing 
in every case in which a Bell Operating company requests relief has 
been deleted. This requirement imposed administrative burdens on the 
Justice Department, yet served no useful purpose. At the request of the 
Justice Department, it has been deleted.
  Second, there was some confusion last year about a provision that 
could have delayed Bell Company entry into certain long distance 
markets as a result of an ambiguity in the statute. During the House 
consideration of the legislation, Chairman Brooks and I engaged in a 
colloquy to clarify that ambiguity. I have made changes in the text of 
the legislation I am introducing today to conform the statutory text 
with the colloquy.
  The interstate waste and flow control bills resolve some long-
standing disputes between state and municipal governments, and between 
different regions of the country. The Superfund reform had the support 
of a broad coalition of industry, small business, State and local 
governments, the environmental community, banks, and many 
[[Page H113]] others. It will make the cleanup of toxic waste sites 
more efficient and more economical, and will restore some sense of 
reason and fairness to the liability system. The Safe Drinking Water 
Act revisions uphold water quality standards while accounting for the 
special needs of smaller communities.
  All of these bills were the product of extensive discussions and 
negotiations involving the full range of interests. While these are 
good bills in their current form, I neither expect nor ask the 104th 
Congress to enact these measures without full discussion or amendment. 
I am prepared, and even eager, to work with my Republican colleagues in 
fashioning productive legislation that achieves the same solid degree 
of consensus we were able to reach last year. I am introducing these 
bills today in that spirit of cooperation.


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