Thread by @leah_nylen

Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) says the Boulder field hearing in Feb 2020 was the turning point for him in the House antitrust probe. “Something has to be done.” #StiglerAntitrust22

“If you control the flow of information in a democracy, you control elections.

To have a monopoly on the flow of information, it threatens us. That’s what liberals and conservatives agree on.”

We have a system that protects us from the government having too much power. We don’t have a system that protects us from companies having too much power without antitrust, he says.

On the need for Big Tech legislation versus other antitrust reforms: “We need to address that before we address other areas. If we can’t get meaningful legislation on Big Tech, we can’t get it passed” on anything else.

Buck says he thinks 3 bills will pass before August — the merger filing fees (inside Competes), the State AG bill and the non-discrimination bill

The non-discrimination bill will go through the Senate first, he says and then the House. He expects at least 100 Republicans would vote in its favor

Buck says the non-discrimination bill is more important than the Open App Store bill, since that one applies only to Google and Apple, whereas the non-discrimination one would also bar self-preferencing by Amazon and Facebook.

“The object is to stay focused on Big Tech. Next January, let’s focus on pharma. Let’s focus on agriculture”

“What we’re trying to do is build momentum,” he says. “If we start too broad, we undermine our ability to do anything.”

“Congress is acting. Congress is sending a message. The judiciary will change the direction” if Congress acts, he says in response to a question about judiciary overruling congressional intent on antitrust.

Buck says he’s spoken to 80-90 or his colleagues. Their biggest fear is the federal government is doing too much and by giving antitrust enforcers more power, it will slow innovation. “If we can be successful here, we can prove there’s a role for enforcement.”

Buck says he’s not sure whether Democratic leadership is against the bill, noting that several key members have children who work for the tech companies. politico.com/newsletters/mo…

“We are not going to get the public to believe we can do something until we do something,” Buck says. “If we do this, we will move the needle.”

“What I am hoping they will do is not talk to Republicans but talk to a lot of Democrats,” Buck says of what he wants the WH to do to help.

When FTC Chair Lina Khan or the WH talk about using antitrust to address climate change or labor issues, it causes him difficulty with Republicans, Buck says. “I hope we can keep on message,” he says.

Buck acknowledges that he was asked by GOP leadership not to join the House Judiciary antitrust report, but to instead write his own. “Politics.”