    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
    [February 1, 1996]
    [Pages 127-128]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Congressional Action on Telecommunications Reform
    Legislation
    February 1, 1996

        I wish to congratulate the Congress for passing the
    Telecommunications Reform Act of 1995. As I stated in my State of the
    Union Address, America needs this legislation and this kind of
    bipartisanship to build our economy for the 21st century, to bring
    educational technology into every classroom, and to help families
    exercise control over how the media influences their children.
        For the past 3 years, my administration has promoted the enactment
    of a telecommunications reform bill to stimulate investment, promote
    competition, provide open access for all citizens to the information
    superhighway,

    [[Page 128]]

    strengthen and improve universal service, and provide families with
    technologies to help them control what kind of programs come into their
    homes over television. As a result of this action today, consumers will
    receive the benefits of lower prices, better quality, and greater
    choices in their telephone and cable services, and they will continue to
    benefit from a diversity of voices and viewpoints in radio, television,
    and the print media.
        I want to thank the bipartisan leadership of the conference that
    produced this landmark legislation--Senators Pressler and Hollings and
    Representatives Bliley, Dingell, Fields, and Markey. I also want to
    thank all those in my administration from the Justice Department, the
    Commerce Department, and the Education Department for their hard work on
    this bill over the past 3 years. And I want to give a special thanks to
    Vice President Gore who began talking about the information superhighway
    nearly 20 years ago and who I know is very proud to see this legislation
    enacted today.
        With this legislation today we are building the information
    superhighway that will lead all Americans into a more prosperous future.