Political Quotes

“I approached this important and complex issue from a competition and deregulatory policy perspective. Clearly, the proposed entry of the regional Bell operating companies into the long distance and manufacturing markets raises fundamental antitrust questions. After all, it is an antitrust consent decree, commonly known as the Modification of Final Judgment or ``MFJ,'' that now prevents them from entering those businesses, and it is that decree that we are now superseding. Also, the telecommunications industry is a highly regulated one at both the Federal and State levels. In my view, less regulation is a desirable goal in this instance, because it will spur further technological innovation, greater competition and job development. On May 2, 1995, I introduced H.R. 1528, the Antitrust Consent Decree Reform Act of 1995. H.R. 1528 proposed to supersede the MFJ and replace it with a quick and deregulatory antitrust review of Bell entry by the Department of Justice.”