[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 186 (Monday, November 20, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S17509-S17510]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

                                 ______


                    THE BALANCED BUDGET ACT OF 1995

 Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, last week I had submitted for the 
Record a statement regarding the Balanced Budget Act of 1995 that 
appears to not have been printed. Therefore, Mr. President, I would ask 
that my statement appear in the Record today.
  Mr. President, I want to commend the hard work of all my colleagues 
in producing this legislation. Although there are parts that do concern 
me, in general I strongly support this bill and the goal of balancing 
the budget in 7 years.
  As one of the Senate Commerce Committee members who drafted title IV 
of the Senate bill and served as a conferee for this section of this 
legislation, I want to clarify for the record what I believe is 
intended by this bill regarding spectrum auctions.
  Under the bill, the Federal Communications Commission [FCC] is 
mandated to identify and make available for public auction 100 Mhz of 
spectrum. I believe that auctioning this and other spectrum is the 
fairest, most equitable manner in which to allocate spectrum. I would 
hope that the Commission would understand this fact and become spectrum 
auction proponents. The auctioning of spectrum in an orderly manner--
done so that the public interest is served both by maximizing revenue 
to the Treasury and ensuring that services that use the spectrum 
continue in a manner that benefits the public--should be a goal of all 
FCC proceedings regarding the spectrum.
  The bill before the Senate contains several criteria that the FCC 
should use in selecting which blocks of spectrum to auction. I want to 
emphasize 

[[Page S 17510]]
for the record that the inclusion of any particular criteria for the 
FCC to consider should not be viewed as limiting the Commission's 
authority to make a determination under its overall public interest 
standard of what existing spectrum uses may need to be continued, or 
from considering in making its decision the impact on any existing 
users of having to move to other frequencies or from requiring, as a 
condition of any move, that the costs of relocation be paid by new 
users.
  Most importantly, I urge the Commission to examine all the spectrum 
referenced in this act and make determinations as to its allocation 
that are fair, equitable, and that do not unduly hurt or burden any one 
group or industry.
  Mr. President, I hope this clarification helps guide the FCC as it 
moves toward auctions as mandated by this bill. I yield the 
floor.

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