Max Cleland: “One of the first issues to come before me as a new member of the Commerce Committee was INTELSAT privatization. Although…”

“One of the first issues to come before me as a new member of the Commerce Committee was INTELSAT privatization. Although this was a challenging issue that required balancing the international role of the U.S. in communications technology with the needs of the signatories to INTELSAT, I chose to become an original co-sponsor of the Open-market Reorganization for the Betterment of International Telecommunications Act 'ORBIT' because I believed it was important to get behind a bill that can be enacted in to law this Congress to address these challenges. One provision that was of particular concern to me is that of 'fresh look.' The conference agreement on S. 376 does eliminate the 'fresh look' provision that continued to be debated this year. 'Fresh look' is a policy that, if implemented, would allow the federal government to permit COMSAT's corporate customers to abrogate their current contracts with COMSAT. The conference agreement rejects 'fresh look' and preserves the ability of the private parties involved to negotiate contracts so that one party cannot simply walk away from its business obligations without any attendant liability. This conference agreement does not allow the FCC to take any action that would impair lawful, private contracts or agreements.”