August 4, 1995

Where were you in the wee hours of August 4, 1995? If you were a Representative in the US House, you were probably voting in favor of HR1555 which some months later became the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (a piece of legislation Washington lawyers have grown to love more and more which each passing paycheck.) Rep Tom Bliley (R-VA) and 26 co-sponsors put forward the bill to "promote competition and reduce regulation in order to secure lower prices and higher quality services for American telecommunications consumers and encourage the rapid deployment of new telecommunications technologies." (Sound familiar?) The House passed the bill 305 - 117.