HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES-Monday, September 14, 1992 the House Met at 12 Noon
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24598 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE September 14, 1992 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES-Monday, September 14, 1992 The House met at 12 noon. that the Senate had passed without S. 2880. An act to authorize appropriations amendment a joint resolution of the for fiscal years 1993 and 1994 for the Office of House of the following title: the United States Trade Representative, the DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO H.J. Res. 413. Joint resolution to designate United States International Trade Commis TEMPORE September 13, 1992, as "Commodore John sion, and the United States Customs Service, Barry Day." and for other purposes; The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be S. 3095. An act to restore and clarify the fore the House the following commu The message also announced that the Federal relationship with the Jena Band of nication from the Speaker: Senate had passed with amendments in Choctaws of Louisiana; and WASHINGTON, DC, which the concurrence of the House is S. 3224. An act to designate the United September 14, 1992. requested, bills of the House of the fol States Courthouse to be constructed in I hereby designate the Honorable BUTLER lowing titles: Fargo, North Dakota the Quentin N. Burdick DERRICK to act as Speaker pro tempore on H.R. 5488. An act making appropriations United States Courthouse. this day. for the Treasury Department, the United The message also announced that THOMAS S. FOLEY, States Postal Service, the Executive Office pursuant to Public Law 102-166, the Speaker of the House of Representatives. of the President, and certain Independent Chair, on behalf of the Republican lead Agencies, for the fiscal year ending Septem ber 30, 1993, and for other purposes; and er and the majority leader, appoints H.R. 5679. An act making appropriations Mr. SEYMOUR, as a member of the Glass PRAYER for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Ceiling Commission. The Chaplain, Rev. James David Housing and Urban Development, and for The message also announced that Ford, D.D., offered the following pray sundry independent agencies, boards, com pursuant to Public Law 102-166, the er: missions, corporations, and offices for the Chair, on behalf of the Republican We are grateful, 0 God, for all those fiscal year ending September 30, 1993, and for leader, appoints Mrs. Marilyn Pauly of who seek to use their abilities in serv other purposes. Kansas, as a member of the Glass Ceil ice to others, who dedicate themselves The message also announced that the ing Commission. and their energies to the works of jus Senate insists upon its amendment to tice and peace. the bill (H.R. 5488), "An act making ap On this day we remember the gifts of propriations for the Treasury Depart CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 12, our friend and colleague, TED WEISS, ment, the United States Postal Serv CABLE TELEVISION CONSUMER who served with distinction and honor ice, the Executive Office of the Presi PROTECTION AND COMPETITION in this place for many years. We are dent, and certain Independent Agen ACT OF 1992 thankful for the commitment and loy cies, for the fiscal year ending Septem Mr. DINGELL submitted the follow alty that he shared with the people of ber 30, 1993, and for other purposes," re ing conference report and statement on his community in New York and with quests a conference with the House on the Senate bill (S. 12) to amend title VI all who serve in this place. the disagreeing votes of the two Houses of the Communications Act of 1934 to May each of us who continue in our thereon, and appoints Mr. DECONCINI, ensure carriage on cable television of responsibilities be found faithful in our Mr. BYRD, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. KERREY, local news and other programming and Mr. DOMENIC!, Mr. HATFIELD, and Mr. to restore the right of local regulatory tasks and may we, in all things, seek D'AMATO, to be the conferees on the to do justice, love, mercy, and ever authorities to regulate cable television part of the Senate. rates, and for other purposes: walk humbly with You. Amen. The message also announced that the Senate insists upon its amendments to CONFERENCE REPORT (H. REPT. 102-862) the bill (H.R. 5679), "An act making ap The committee of conference on the dis THE JOURNAL propriations for the Departments of agreeing votes of the two Houses on the The SPEAKER pro tempore. The amendments of the House to the bill (S. 12), Veterans Affairs and Housing and to amend title VI of the Communications Chair has examined the Journal of the Urban Development, and for sundry Act of 1934 to ensure carriage on cable tele last day's proceedings and announces independent agencies, boards, commis vision of local news and other programming to the House his approval thereof. sions, corporations, and offices for the and to restore the right of local regulatory Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour fiscal year ending September 30, 1993, authorities to regulate cable television nal stands approved. and for other purposes," requests a rates, and for other purposes, having met, conference with the House on the dis after full and free conference, have agreed to agreeing votes of the two Houses there recommend and do recommend to their re PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE on, and appoints Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. spective Houses as follows: That the Senate recede from its disagree The SPEAKER pro tempore. The LEAHY, Mr. JOHNSTON, Mr. LAUTEN ment to the amendment of the House to the Chair recognizes the gentleman from BERG, Mr. FOWLER, Mr. KERREY, Mr. text of the bill and agree to the same with an Arizona [Mr. RHODES] to lead us in the BYRD, Mr. GARN, Mr. D'AMATO, Mr. amendment as follows: Pledge of Allegiance. NICKLES, Mr. GRAMM, Mr. BOND, and In lieu of the matter proposed to be in Mr. RHODES led the Pledge of Alle Mr. HATFIELD, to be the conferees on serted by the House amendment, insert the giance as follows: the part of the Senate. following: I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the The message also announced that the SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. United States of America, and to the Repub Senate had passed bills of the following This Act may be cited as the ''Cable Television lic for which it stands, one nation under God, titles, in which the concurrence of the Consumer Protection and Competition Act of indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. House is requested: 1992". S. 2507. An act to amend the Act of October SEC. 2. FINDINGS; POUCY; DEFINITIONS. 19, 1984 (Public Law 98-530; 98 Stat. 2698), to (a) FINDINGS.-The Congress finds and de MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE authorize certain uses of water by the Ak clares the fallowing: Chin Indian Community, Arizona; (1) Pursuant to the Cable Communications A message from the Senate by Mr. S. 2572. An act to authorize an exchange of Policy Act of 1984, rates for cable television serv Hallen, one of its clerks, announced lands in the States of Arkansas and Idaho; ices have been deregulated in approximately 97 DThis symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., D 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. September 14, 1992 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE 24599 percent of all franchises since December 29, 1986. (9) The Federal Government has a substantial (19) At the same time, broadcast programming Since rate deregulation, monthly rates for the interest in having cable systems carry the sig that is carried remains the most popular pro lowest priced basic cable service have increased nals of local commercial television stations be gramming on cable systems, and a substantial by 40 percent or more for 28 percent of cable tel cause the carriage of such signals is necessary portion of the benefits for which consumers pay evision subscribers. Although the average num to serve the goals contained in section 307(b) of cable systems is derived from carriage of the sig ber of basic channels has increased from about the Communications Act of 1934 of providing a nals of network affiliates, independent tele 24 to 30, average monthly rates have increased fair, efficient, and equitable distribution of vision stations, and public television stations. by 29 percent during the same period. The aver broadcast services. Also cable programming placed on channels ad age monthly cable rate has increased almost 3 (10) A primary objective and benefit of our jacent to popular off-the-air signals obtains a times as much as the Consumer Price Index Nation's system of regulation of television larger audience than on other channel posi since rate deregulation. broadcasting is the local origination of program tions. Cable systems, therefore, obtain great ben (2) For a variety of reasons, including local ming. There is a substantial governmental inter efits from local broadcast signals which, until franchising requirements and the extraordinary est in ensuring its continuation. now, they have been able to obtain without the expense of constructing more than one cable tel (11) Broadcast television stations continue to consent of the broadcaster or any copyright li evision system to serve a particular geographic be an important source of local news and public ability. This has resulted in an effective subsidy area, most cable television subscribers have no affairs programming and other local broadcast of the development of cable systems by local opportunity to select between competing cable services critical to an informed electorate. broadcasters. While at one time, when cable sys systems. Without the presence of another multi (12) Broadcast television programming is sup tems did not attempt to compete with local channel video programming distributor, a cable ported by revenues generated from advertising broadcasters for programming, audience, and system faces no local competition.