House Antitrust Panel Wants Justice Department To Crush Monopolies Beyond Big Tech
The House Antitrust Committee wants prosecutors in the Biden administration to target monopolies outside the tech sector, and is pushing the Justice Department to expand its scope to include other industries.
Representative Thomas Massey, chairman of the antitrust group, said Tuesday that President Biden's antitrust powers over airlines and the meat industry over big tech companies are long gone.
The Kentucky Republican told a House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee hearing that voters don't care about Google's market power in online search and advertising.
“I've had a lot of conversations over 11 years, and not one person has ever asked me to come to Congress and do something about Google because they're worried that Google is going to take over their lives. he said. Massey in court. "None of the 750,000 voters."
Massey's comments suggest that House Republicans have no interest in saving the Justice Department's efforts to regulate big tech companies if the antitrust lawsuit against Google fails in federal court in the city.
The Justice Department and Google have been arguing in Washington for more than two months. A civil suit filed by federal prosecutors alleges that Google's dominance in Internet search violates antitrust laws, saying Google's power is the result of competitive success.
A decision may not be reached until early next year, but the Justice Department appears optimistic about the lawsuit against Google and other antitrust cases alleging the company has an illegal monopoly on digital advertising.
Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Cantor told the House Antitrust Committee that he would not comment on the Google case, which is pending on Capitol Hill at the same time, but expressed optimism about his team's progress.
"We had two cases, one that ended in summary judgment and the other that was dismissed without objection," Kanter said of the antitrust lawsuit against Google.
Some lawmakers worry that the Justice Department's antitrust authority has missed other issues by pursuing Google.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Representative Jim Jordan criticized the Cantor Group for failing to protect Americans' free speech at a company that prioritizes environmental, social and governance issues.
Kanter, a Republican from Ohio, said he was interfering in trade negotiations and ignoring consumer protections.
"In the United States, there is a lot of evidence that it is among influential companies - these groups are implementing policies to impose ESG policies on American consumers and businesses and to censor conservative voices," said Jordan. "What is the Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division doing to prevent nefarious conspiracies among the world's most powerful financial institutions and companies? Not much."
Some Democrats are also concerned about Canter. Representative Lou Correa, Democrat of California, warned the Canter administration against actions that would hinder competition.
"I agree with your goals, but I urge the department to be careful how it handles antitrust violations so it doesn't harm competition or consumers," Correa told Kantor. "We must ensure that unintended consequences do not materialize and, more importantly, do not cost American jobs," he added.
• This article is based on a television company report.
