William Orton: “H.R. 1555, the ``Communications Act of 1995'' makes major changes in our telecommunications industry. These changes will…”

“H.R. 1555, the ``Communications Act of 1995'' makes major changes in our telecommunications industry. These changes will have a profound effect on consumers, on businesses, and on our society. While much of the focus of this bill has been on industry giants fighting for market share, a number of us in the House have been very concerned about the effect of these changes on the availability and affordability of access for all Americans to emerging technologies, through the Information Superhighway. As this bill made its way to the floor, it became apparent that the legislation simply did not contain adequate provisions to promote and ensure affordable access to this Information Superhighway for our Nation's elementary and secondary schools, public libraries, and rural hospitals. Therefore, I joined my colleagues Connie Morella of Maryland, Zoe Lofgren of California, and Bob Ney of Ohio in offering an amendment to the bill to address this important issue.”