REP. OLYMPIA SNOWE (R-ME)

On December 2, 1993, Rep. Snowe purchased between 1,000 and 15,000 dollars worth of stock in Pac Tel Corp. Pac Tel is part of the Pacific Telesis Group, and provides wireless telecommunications services to subscribers here in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Rep. Snowe's purchase directly coincides with three pieces of legislation of great interest to Pacific Telesis and its subsidiaries.

The first is a bill that was introduced on November 3, 1993 and referred to Rep. Snowe's House Foreign Affairs Committee. The bill was H.R. 3431: COMPUTER AND COMMUNICATIONS TRADE REFORM ACT...To amend the Export Administration Act of 1979 with respect to export of computers, telecommunications equipment, and semiconductors (Referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Pending). In short, this bill sought to remove "unnecessary and ineffective export controls" and "level the playing field for U.S. trade" (from comments made by the bill's sponsor, Rep. Manzullo; Cong. Rec. E 2769).

The second is a bill that was introduced on November 22, 1993 (10 days before her stock purchase). The bill was H.R. 3626: ANTITRUST REFORM AND COMMUNICATIONS ACT...To supersede the modification of final judgement entered August 24, 1982, in the antitrust action styled U.S. v. Western Electric, civil action No. 82-0192, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to regulate the manufacturing of Bell operating companies (Referred to House Energy and Commerce, and House Judiciary; Pending). This bill "...would allow the regional Bell telephone companies gradually to enter the long-distance business. The companies could also enter into telecommunications equipment manufacturing...." (comments made by Rep. Slattery; Cong. Rec. E 1439).

This provision, manufacturing telecommunications equipment, is something that Pacific Telesis has been lobbying for aggressively (their point lobbyists--Graham and James). And if you combine H.R. 3626 with H.R. 3431, Pac Tel really stands to gain significant revenue.

The third bill was also introduced on November 22, 1993. The bill was H.R. 3636: NATIONAL COMMUNICATION COMPETITION AND INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE ACT...To promote a national communications infrastructure to encourage deployment of advanced communications services through competition (Referred to House Energy and Commerce; Pending). This bill permits "...telephone companies to compete in offering video programming. Specifically, the bill would recind the ban on telephone company ownership and delivery of video programming that was enacted in the cable Act of 1984." (comments made by Rep. Markey; Cong. Rec. E 3114).

VOTE NOTES: On June 28, 1994, Rep. Snowe voted AYE to pass H.R. 3626 and H.R. 3636.

NOTES: Rep. Snowe is # 5 on the House Foreign Affairs Committee; she is # 5 on the House Budget Committee; she was elected as a U.S. Senator on November 8, 1994.