[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9078]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   GETTING THE ECONOMY GROWING AGAIN

  (Mr. WEXLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WEXLER. Mr. Speaker, to get our economy growing again, we need 
policies that encourage investment and job creation, especially in 
high-technology industries like telecommunications.
  Just this past month, FCC Chairman Powell tried to encourage more 
facilities-based competition in the local exchange markets. That 
balanced approach, however, was abandoned in favor of keeping most of 
the old rules and regulations, despite predictions that it would 
discourage plant upgrades, new network installation, and new jobs. 
Surprisingly, the White House was silent when the plans of its own FCC 
chairman were sidelined.
  Mr. Speaker, the Clinton administration took a strong pro-growth, 
pro-jobs approach in the technology and telecom sector. The Bush 
administration, in contrast, seems wedded to an almost unchanging 
policy of benign neglect. I have over 50 facilities and 900 workers in 
my district that cannot tolerate this benign neglect. Under the present 
administration, America has lost $2 trillion in the telecommunication 
industry, computer investment has been erased, and 300,000 American 
technology workers have lost their jobs.

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