Democrats face backlash over antitrust scrutiny

Democrats stood by Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair as she weathered hours of questioning before the House Judiciary Committee, during which Republicans called her a “bully” whose tenure at the antitrust agency had been “a disaster.”

Republicans hammered Khan for allegedly mismanaging the agency and its resources, misleading Congress, launching politically motivated antitrust action and withholding requested information from the committee.

Committee Chairman (R-Ohio) accused Khan of fostering “a system where her and her cronies have unchecked power over business practices in our country.”

Khan defended her agency’s mandate to promote competition and its ambitious legal antitrust enforcement strategy.

“Our competition mission is driven by the tenet that vigorous antitrust enforcement is critical to the growth and dynamism of our economy, as well as to our shared prosperity and liberty,” Khan said.

“Recent decades, however, have vividly illustrated how Americans lose out when markets become more consolidated and less competitive.”

Democrats, who have largely supported efforts by the FTC to block corporate mergers, provided cover for Khan throughout the hearing.

In his opening statement, ranking member Rep. (D-N.Y.) praised the FTC for returning more than $430 million to consumers and warned Khan she would face misleading attacks on her work in “the alternate universe that is the House Judiciary Committee under MAGA Republican leadership.”

Republicans attacked Khan for participating in a case against Meta Platforms Inc. despite an internal ethics recommendation that she recuse herself. GOP lawmakers alleged Khan gave “misleading testimony” before Congress in April 2023 about her decision to participate.

Khan denied the allegation, explaining she had no financial stake in any company being investigated by the FTC.

While Republicans have ripped Big Tech for  and perspectives on their platform, GOP lawmakers accused the FTC chair of “harassing” Twitter during the hearing.

Khan argued that consolidation in the tech industry could hurt consumers and contribute to the very censorship Republicans were concerned about.

“The FTC is firing on all cylinders, fighting every day to protect the American people from unlawful business practice,” Khan said.

Republicans also pointed to a series of legal losses the FTC has recently suffered, including a ruling handed down Tuesday allowing Microsoft to  to buy the video game company Activision Blizzard. The FTC said Thursday it .