[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 56 (Wednesday, April 13, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S2046]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3745. Mr. INHOFE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 3679 proposed by Mr. McConnell (for Mr. Thune (for himself 
and Mr. Nelson)) to the bill H.R. 636, to amend the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 to permanently extend increased expensing limitations, and 
for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       Strike section 5023 and insert the following:

     SEC. 5023. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE STUDY OF 
                   INTERNATIONAL AIR CARRIER ALLIANCES.

       (a) In General.--The Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall conduct a study of certain cooperative 
     agreements between United States air carriers and non-United 
     States air carriers (referred to in this section as 
     ``alliances'') that--
       (1) have been created pursuant to section 41309 of title 
     49, United States Code; and
       (2) have been exempted from antitrust laws (as defined in 
     the first section of the Clayton Act ( 15 U.S.C. 12)) 
     pursuant to section 41308 of title 49, United States Code.
       (b) Scope.--In conducting the study under subsection (a), 
     the Comptroller General shall assess--
       (1) the public benefits to consumers of alliances and the 
     consequences of alliances, if any, to competition, pricing, 
     and new entry into markets served by alliances;
       (2) the representations made by air carriers to the 
     Secretary of Transportation for the necessity of an antitrust 
     exemption;
       (3) the Department of Transportation's expectations of 
     public benefits resulting from alliances, including whether 
     such expected benefits were actually achieved;
       (4) the Department of Transportation's role in the approval 
     and monitoring of alliances;
       (5) whether there has been sufficient transparency in the 
     approval of alliances, including opportunities for public 
     review and feedback;
       (6) the role of the Department of Justice in the oversight 
     of alliances;
       (7) whether there are alternatives to antitrust immunity 
     that could be conferred that would also produce public 
     benefits; and
       (8) the level of competition between alliances.
       (c) Recommendations.--Not later than 180 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
     shall submit to Congress the results of the study conducted 
     under subsection (a).
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