By Syndicated Content
Jun 14, 2021 | 7:19 PM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) â Republican Senators Mike Lee and Chuck Grassley introduced a bill on Tuesday that would move all antitrust enforcement to the Justice Department, stripping the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission of antitrust authority, Leeâs office said on Monday.
The Justice Departmentâs Antitrust Division and the FTC currently divide up the work of antitrust enforcement, with the FCC weighing in on telecommunications deals.
There is no companion legislation in the Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives. Democrats control the evenly divided Senate because of Vice President Kamala Harrisâ tie-breaking vote.
The measure, introduced by Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Lee, the top Republican on the committeeâs antitrust panel, would also ban any merger that results in a market share of more than 66 percent unless needed to prevent âserious harmâ to the U.S. economy, according to a summary.