The highest Republican backer of a stalled antitrust bill demanded President Joe Biden take an “lively role” in ending the nearly year-long logjam over the bipartisan laws that cracks down on Big Tech.
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, who co-sponsored The Web Innovation and Alternative Act with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), wants Biden to pressure Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to incorporate elements of their antitrust bill within the omnibus package that have to be passed by the top of the 12 months.
“If the President wants to perform something on this front, then the White House needs to begin taking an lively role in pushing Leader Schumer and the Democratic caucus to bring this bill to a vote before the 12 months is out,” Grassley told The Post.
Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi reportedly hammered out a framework for the appropriations bill on Wednesday – avoiding a government shutdown. Nonetheless, the small print have yet to be finalized before a final vote this week.
“Sen. Grassley should pick up the phone and tell Mitch McConnell all the things he’s telling The Post,” Angelo Roefaro, a spokesperson for Schumer, told The Post on Thursday.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar is a backer of The Web Innovation and Alternative Act.AP/Alex Brandon
The antitrust bill was passed by the House in February but has languished within the Senate despite Schumer‘s continued vow to bring it to a vote. It might prevent platforms from “self-preferencing” their content. As an illustration, Amazon would not give you the chance to advertise its own goods over third-party sellers on its e-commerce site.
The bill has faced massive headwinds from deep-pocketed Big Tech lobbyists. Amazon, Apple, Meta and Google combined to spend greater than $35 million in only the primary half of the 12 months on lobbying efforts, Bloomberg reported.
The businesses have also flooded Beltway airwaves with commercials opposing antitrust bills and purchased ad space in influential newsletters like Politico Playbook.
“For those who don’t count all of the paid shills working for Big Tech, Schumer is the last guy in Washington holding out on this laws ” said Luther Lowe, Senior Vice President of Public Policy at Yelp.
Proponents of the antitrust laws say the omnibus package, which can appropriate government funding for the subsequent 12 months, is the proper vehicle to finish the stalemate.
Countless lawmakers have children working in big tech.Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for SEIU
Insiders add that there’s a serious push from lawmakers who support antitrust laws to incorporate key provisions from other proposed bills searching for to throttle Big Tech.
“Even people who find themselves whining about where the commas go within the omnibus aren’t against laws that reins in tech corporations,” an insider told The Post. “Leveling the playing field within the Big Tech space isn’t super controversial.”
There’s greater than Big Tech money pushing against the antitrust bills. At the least 17 lawmakers tasked with oversight of Meta, Amazon, Google and Apple have children who work at — or recently worked for — those corporations, Politico reported.
The Post reported that US Rep. Zoe Lofgren — a Democrat who’s one of the crucial vocal opponents of antitrust bills now winding their way through Congress that might goal Big Tech — has a daughter who works on Google’s legal team.
The Post also reported that each of Schumer’s daughters are on the payroll of Big Tech firms. Jessica Schumer is a registered lobbyist at Amazon, based on Recent York state records. Alison Schumer works at Facebook as a product marketing manager.
People near Schumer say he’s held off on holding a vote on the Innovation Act while specializing in other priorities like codifying gay marriage and passing the so-called Inflation Reduction Act.
But many Republicans have been left frustrated by Schumer’s failure to tackle Big Tech.
“Sen. Schumer has been giving lip service to antitrust reform for over a 12 months now,” Garrett Ventry, former chief of staff to Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), told The Post.
“If President Biden really wants antitrust reform, he’ll pressure Schumer so as to add it to the omnibus,” Ventry added.
