[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 19 (Tuesday, March 3, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E262]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY AND MANDATES ARE NOT BENEFICIAL TO ECONOMY 
                              COMPETITION

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                            HON. JOHN LINDER

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 3, 1998

  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe that government authority 
and mandates are beneficial to economic competition. In fact, nations 
that have achieved the most impressive growth in the past have not been 
those with rigid government controls. Our telecommunications bill last 
Congress was an example of our putting trust in the power and potential 
of the marketplace.
  For the past two years, however, I have watched and read about the 
latest regulatory battle or industry court battle. First, the telecom 
industries need to honor the intent of the act. Second, I am concerned 
that the FCC continues to advance in its own direction on many issues--
a direction this Congress did not authorize. Somehow, we have to demand 
that the FCC and the regulators commit to implement this act the way we 
intended.
  And for clarification--we intended less regulatory constraints and 
more competition in the marketplace. The competition we envisioned 
between the various telecommunications industries would secure lower 
prices for consumers, improve service to the American consumer, and 
accelerate the development of new technological breakthroughs in the 
telecommunications market. I hope we see the competition we envisioned 
as soon as possible.

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