William Tauzin: “Mr. Speaker, let me read the bill without the Markey amendment. It says that these licenses are reserved to people who…”

“Mr. Speaker, let me read the bill without the Markey amendment. It says that these licenses are reserved to people who prove ``that their organization serves an educational, instructional, cultural, or religious purpose.'' We have not taken ``educational'' out. What the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) wants to do is take ``religious'' out. He wants to insert ``educational religious.'' The word ``educational'' is still in. ``Educational, cultural, instructional, or religious'' is what the bill now says. What we are doing in the bill, what the Markey amendment would undo, is to prevent the Commission from qualifying which religious broadcasting is permitted. Our Constitution says the government needs to stay out of the business of religion in our country. Yet, this FCC tried to get into it. This bill keeps them out. The Markey amendment lets government get back in. We need to defeat the Markey amendment and adopt the original bill.”