Companies facing antitrust scrutiny funneled big money to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen before her aides tried to defund regulators’ budget.
By Freddy Brewster, The Lever
Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s aides quietly drafted legislation that would gut federal antitrust enforcers’ budget — a move that could benefit some of the lawmaker’s major finance, weapons, and health care industry donors whose industries are facing the prospect of tougher scrutiny from those antitrust regulators.
Some of those donors’ companies have been actively lobbying Congress on antitrust issues in the lead-up to Shaheen’s proposed cut, according to federal disclosures reviewed by The Lever.
Shaheen aides slipped the budget-cutting provision into a must-pass 1,050-page bill to keep the government open. The language would strip the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division of nearly $50 million, or roughly 18 percent of its resources.
The proposed cut comes out of a Shaheen-chaired Senate appropriations subcommittee, which issued a summary of the bill that failed to mention the controversial provision.
Recent Posts
Vance-Led Task Force Moves to Strip 760,000 People of ACA Coverage
Take Action Now Protect Our Care says about 8 million people have lost coverage since the start of Trump’s second termBy Ruth Milka, Nation of…
The Espionage Act Monster: How Washington Crushes Those Who Expose Its Crimes
Take Action Now As surveillance expands and the ability to communicate anonymously becomes increasingly difficult, the panel asks a fundamental…
Another U.S. Soldier Is Dead as Iran War Casualties Rise
Take Action Now An additional 66 U.S. personnel were wounded in action this month, pushing the official count of Iran war casualties above 850.By…
ICE “Disappears” Thousands Ordered to Be Deported From Detainee Locator
Take Action Now This could make it “nearly impossible” for some people to challenge their deportation orders, an attorney said.By Sharon Zhang,…