[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 28 (Tuesday, March 14, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E295]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 376, OPEN-MARKET REORGANIZATION FOR THE 
           BETTERMENT OF INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT

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                               speech of

                           HON. CLIFF STEARNS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 9, 2000

  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I think that the compromise before us 
accurately reflects the consensus of the Congress that we must 
encourage the privatization of INTELSAT without diminishing 
competition. I strongly support the satellite reform conference 
agreement and I urge my colleagues in the House to vote for its passage 
today.
  As many of you know, for the last few years, there has been great 
disagreement between the House and Senate on how to craft a meaningful 
satellite communications reform bill. Under the leadership of Chairman 
Bliley, Representative Tauzin and Representative Oxley, and Senator 
Burns, we have reached the point in the debate where there is finally 
an agreement that can be enacted into law. I believe that the 
conference agreement achieves the core objectives of everyone who cares 
about satellite reform without imposing substantial threats to genuine 
market competition or breaching the Constitution.
  When the House passed its satellite reform bill at the end of the 
first session of the 106th Congress, I expressed some concerns of mine 
about a provision in the House bill that seemed to place unnecessary 
conditions on lifting COMSAT's ownership caps. In my opinion, retaining 
this language would have continued to block the consummation of the 
Lockheed Martin-COMSAT merger. I am pleased that this issue I raised 
was addressed by the conferees. The conference agreement now before us 
does not impose any conditions on the removal of COMSAT's board and 
ownership restrictions. Those restrictions are eliminated upon 
enactment without conditions. This change will enable Lockheed Martin 
to acquire 100% of COMSAT without further delay. I thank Chairman 
Bliley and the other conferees for amending this provision so that 
Lockheed Martin can more quickly enter the satellite communications 
market.
  I am also pleased that the conference agreement does not contain 
fresh look and so-called Level IV direct access, which would have been 
confiscatory and punitive. Extracting those provisions, along with the 
significant improvements that were made to the House-passed 
privatization criteria, have put us in the position of being able to 
pass a compromise satellite reform bill that can be signed into law.
  I congratulate my colleagues in the House and in the Senate on a job 
well done, and I look forward to the enactment of this legislation.

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