Political Quotes

“I voted against H.R. 1555, the House-passed Telecommunications reform bill, in August. I believe the conference report before us today is a much improved piece of legislation that deserves our support. This bill contains the important V-chip technology that will allow parents to control what programs are viewed by their children. This parental control device will be of great benefit as consumer access to a seemingless endless number of new television channels enter the market place. I believe this conference report has addressed in a fair manner the issue of cable deregulation. I represent a rural district and was greatly concerned about the negative impacts H.R. 1555 would have had on cable consumers I represent. I understand the importance of free and open markets, but in rural America competition if often slow in coming. The conference report before us today ensures consumer protection until real and meaning cable competition exists. The telecommunications reform conference report before us today is not a perfect bill, but it is a very good bill. This legislation allows for true competition among local and long distance phone companies, protects cable consumers, and provides needed measures that make it illegal to intentionally communicate obscene materials over a computer network. Mr. Speaker, we hear a lot about America being ready to embark on the information superhighway. This bill allow us to do that.”