FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AT THURSDAY, MAY 18, 1995 (202) 616-2771 TDD (202) 514-1888 ANTITRUST CHIEF WELCOMES AMENDMENT TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS BILL: IMPROVES TEST THAT JUSTICE WOULD USE TO PERMIT BELL OPERATING COMPANIES TO ENTER LONG DISTANCE AND MANUFACTURING MARKETS Anne K. Bingaman, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department's Antitrust Division, made the following statement about the House Judiciary Committee's adoption of a key amendment to H.R. 1528, the "Antitrust Consent Decree Reform Act of 1995, which was reported out of Committee this morning: "The Administration welcomes the change in the bill and commends Chairman Hyde, Ranking Member Conyers, and the Judiciary Committee for their bipartisan and cooperative effort to improve the test that the Department of Justice would apply in determining whether to permit the Bell Operating Companies to enter the long distance and manufacturing markets. "While the Administration will continue to work with Congress toward legislation that requires the Department of Justice to apply the "VIII (C)" test to requests for Bell entry into these markets, we recognize the important and positive change in the bill. The overwhelming Committee vote for the amendment also reflects a growing bipartisan consensus on the importance of a Department of Justice decision-making role to ensure that telecommunications reform would not impede competition in the long distance and manufacturing markets. The Administration, like the Committee, supports Bell entry into these markets adjacent to the local telephone monopoly when entry would spur competition rather than unleash monopolies. "We appreciate Chairman Hyde's leadership on these important antitrust issues." ### 95-276