Statement of Administration Policy: S. 677 - Federal Trade Commission Act Amendments of 1987

(Senate)
(Gore (D) Tennessee and 6 others)

The administration would not object to the enactment of S. 677 if it is amended to:

— delete the prohibition against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) conducting any study, investigation, or prosecution of agricultural cooperative activities which are currently exempt from antitrust law;

— delete the prohibition against any study or investigation of agricultural marketing orders;

— modify the Congressional notification requirement for certain FTC interventions to provide for notification concurrent with, rather than in advance of, the intervention;

— delete limitations on the flexibility of the FTC to utilize appropriated funds in the most cost effective manner;

— delete the provision delaying the effective date of final FTC rules by 90 or more days pending Congressional action; and

— delete the reporting requirements found in subsections (2), (3), (4), and (9) of section 12(b); and subsections (2),(3),(4), and (9) of section 14(b) because they could require the disclosure of internal agency deliberations involving the performance of law enforcement functions.