Statement by the President on Passage of the Telecom Reform Act

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 1, 1996

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

I wish to congratulate the Congress for passing the Telecommunications Reform Act of 1995. As I stated in my State of the Union Address, America needs this legislation and this kind of bi-partisanship to build our economy for the 21st century, to bring educational technology into every classroom and to help families exercise control over how the media influences their children. For the past three years, my Administration has promoted the enactment of a telecommunications reform bill to stimulate investment, promote competition, provide open access for all citizens to the Information Superhighway, strengthen and improve universal service and provide families with technologies to help them control what kind of programs come into their homes over television. As a result of this action today, consumers will receive the benefits of lower prices, better quality and greater choices in their telephone and cable services, and they will continue to benefit from a diversity of voices and viewpoints in radio, television and the print media. I want to thank the bipartisan leadership of the conference that produced this landmark legislation -- Senators Pressler and Hollings and Representatives Bliley, Dingell, Fields and Markey. I also want to thank all those in my Administration from the Justice Department, the Commerce Department, and the Education Department for their hard work on this bill over the past three years. And I want to give a special thanks to Vice President Gore who began talking about the Information Superhighway nearly 20 years ago and who I know is very proud to see this legislation enacted today. With this legislation today we are building the information superhighway that will lead all Americans into a more prosperous future.

The 1996 Telecommunications Reform Bill

24 Hours in Cyberspace

Summary of Telecommunications Act

Passage of Telecom Act

President Speaks about the Telecom Reform Act

President's Signing ceremony for the Telecommunications Act Conference Report

President Signs Telecommunications Act

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