But some Republicans on the committee, led by Rep. Thomas Massie , contended that Microsoft escapes the provisions of the bills even though it has a market cap that recently passed $2 trillion.
He also said that there was “no mystery” to the legislation, a version of which was introduced in the Senate two years ago. Some Democrats opposed the legislation, including Rep. Zoe Lofgren , whose district includes parts of Silicon Valley. She said that the legislation risks creating a parallel track of antitrust lawsuits.The House Judiciary Committee advanced the first a half dozen bills aimed at big tech, approving a bill that would increase merger filing fees to give the government more money to enforce antitrust laws.
Some Republicans objected to the bill by arguing that it should have placed more restrictions on the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department in how they use the money. But Republican backers like Spartz said that it was merely increasing fees, not restructuring the enforcement agencies. Buck noted that similar legislation passed in the Senate unanimously.
In recent days the companies unleashed a flurry of statements, on their own and from industry trade groups, opposing the measures. Apple CEO Tim Cook called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to warn about the legislation, according to a report in The New York Times. But Rep. Jim Jordan , the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, railed against the legislation, arguing that it would align big tech with big government, giving more power to the Federal Trade Commission. As he often does, he also chided platforms for alleged censorship against voices on the right. Another Republican on the committee, Rep. Chip Roy proposed an amendment that would prohibit antitrust enforcers from using increased funding to promote critical race theory.
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