[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18475]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      AMERICANS LOVE A FAIR FIGHT

  (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, the American people love a fair fight, and so 
do I. In the debate over America's future, we especially want to hear 
all the facts and all the arguments on every side of the issue.
  Unfortunately, some in our Nation's Capitol want to achieve that 
result by bringing back what is known as the Fairness Doctrine, an 
archaic government regulation imposed by the Federal Communication 
Commission that for decades required broadcasters to present 
controversial issues in a fair and balanced manner.
  Now, it sounds acceptable enough. But there is really nothing fair 
about the Fairness Doctrine, Mr. Speaker. This is a relic of America's 
broadcasting past, and it should stay in the past where it belongs.
  Fortunately, 2 weeks ago, 309 Republicans and Democrats in the 
Congress voted in favor of the Pence amendment to prevent the FCC for 1 
year from reinstituting the Fairness Doctrine.
  While I was pleased with the bipartisan passage of this legislation, 
today we will open a second front to ensure that the Fairness Doctrine 
can never come back again. In cooperation with colleagues in the House 
and the Senate today, we will unveil the Broadcaster Freedom Act, which 
will ensure that the FCC and any future administration cannot re-
regulate the airwaves of America without an act of Congress.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, join me in 
cosponsoring the Broadcaster Freedom Act and preserve the free airwaves 
of America.

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