GOPers Crusade Against Big Tech Hits A Wall
The House Republican group that pushed last year's bipartisan crusade to limit the market power of big tech companies says the GOP leader has no plans for a fix, but insists the fight isn't over.
"Big Tech's antitrust issues are not going to be solved in this Congress," Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado told the Politico Tech podcast. "And even though I'm the champion, he's behind."
"Talk to new members. It is also laying the foundations for the future", he continued. "The best way to achieve this is to make people aware, to make the participants aware, to know what is going on, and to take a step and draw their own conclusions. ." .
Buck formed an unlikely alliance with former Democratic Rep. David Cicilline, then chairman of the House Antitrust Subcommittee, to get the Judiciary Committee to pass bills in 2021 that would limit Amazon, Meta, Apple and Google's control. Online markets.
But political squabbles in the House killed their main counts. While several bills, including one that increased merger fees, were eventually signed into law by the president, those promising the biggest changes to tech companies' business models did not become law.
Buck's efforts took another hit after Republicans took control of the House of Representatives this year, replacing him as chairman of the House antitrust committee in favor of Rep. Thomas Massey of Kentucky. Cecil stepped down in May to lead the Rhode Island Foundation.
The House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Chairman Jim Jordan, is tasked with investigating allegations that Meta, Google, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon, along with the Biden administration, censored conservatives.
Buck said Jordan's investigation only reinforces the importance of antitrust laws: he could not support Jordan's view.
"I feel like every time Jim Jordan criticizes speech or content moderation or censorship by these big companies, he's saying we need competition to fix it," Buck said.
"I want to be a champion, but I have to be realistic," Buck said. "There are a lot of issues that I can focus on right now, and I'm focusing on issues that build bipartisan support."
In June, Book, along with Reps. Ted Liu and Anna Eshu of California, introduced legislation to create a commission to recommend steps the government should take to regulate artificial intelligence, which could create a new federal agency.
Buck clarified that the proposal is not an attempt to delay more significant actions around AI. But appointing a panel to focus on the issue would help draw more attention from lawmakers who oppose more pressing policy issues and partisan conflict in the investigations of former presidents Donald Trump and Hunter Biden.
"It is important to gather people who have the time and attention to solve problems in an orderly way," he said.
Annie Rees contributed to this report.
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