Bob Kerrey: “during the last several weeks, I have taken the floor to discuss my concerns about the approach the Department of…”

“during the last several weeks, I have taken the floor to discuss my concerns about the approach the Department of Justice has taken on mergers among and between large telecommunications companies. I was particularly disappointed with the decision of the Department of Justice to approve the Bell Atlantic/NYNEX merger without any conditions. Today, I take the floor to congratulate the Federal Communications Commission for doing what the Department of Justice was unwilling to do. This weekend the FCC announced that it had concluded an 11-page letter of agreement with Bell Atlantic and NYNEX on pro-competitive conditions for its merger. While I continue to question the underlying competitive merit of the Bell Atlantic/NYNEX combination, the efforts of the FCC certainly mitigate the decision of the Department of Justice to approve the merger. It is only unfortunate that the Department of Justice had not demonstrated the same commitment to competition. The FCC negotiated a 4 year pro-competitive agreement with Bell Atlantic and NYNEX which includes the use of forward looking costs for competitive interconnection agreements, the use of uniform interfaces for interconnection, greater reporting requirements, access for competitors to efficient operating support systems, and performance guarantees. These commitments hold the promise of giving competition a chance to take root.”