Senator Grassley and Members of Congress: We appreciate your efforts and careful attention to antitrust and other competition related issues with technology companies. While we support antitrust scrutiny to promote competitive behavior, as long-time supporters of free markets and free expression, we are concerned to see drastic antitrust reform proposals that completely overlook consumer welfare […]
congress
Coalition Opposes Wasteful $3.5 Trillion Spending Plan
Today, a coalition of tax and consumer groups wrote a letter to Congress in opposition to the $3.5 trillion proposal, calling it — not a “path for progress for Americans,” but rather a mixed bag of higher taxes andincreased wasteful spending for which taxpayers will ultimately be responsible. The coalition letter is available here online.
The Hill: House Transportation Bill a Big Loser For Consumers
Congressional members on the Transportation Committee have much work to do on their proposed infrastructure bill. One first step, across all political allegiances, should be to drop unnecessary regulatory provisions in the transportation legislation that would only serve to increase consumer prices by increasing the costs of transporting goods by rail. As the economy works […]
Inside Sources: Klobuchar’s Antitrust Bill Reveals Lack of Understanding of Today’s Big Tech Economy
While legislators will undoubtedly continue their attacks on big tech into the foreseeable future, it is clear that Klobuchar’s bill is underpinned by a flawed understanding of the tech industry’s current state, the consumer benefits that tech companies generate, and the support they have provided to small businesses. These factors alone should be enough to […]
Congress: Don’t Sneak the INFORM Act into the Endless Frontier Act; Have a Hearing
As an organization representing a wide range of U.S. taxpayers and consumers, the American Consumer Institute has analyzed and highlighted numerous times the negative ramifications the INFORM Act would have on small online vendors, especially on women-owned businesses. We are extremely concerned of any possibility or proposal to add the INFORM Act to the Endless […]
ACI Sends a Letter to GOP on Broadband Availability and Affordability
Senate Republican Leader McConnell and House Republican Leader McCarthy: With millions of Americans needing the broadband door unlocked to access better education, improved healthcare, and higher-skilled jobs, we commend your efforts to continue to close the digital divide. We represent the American Consumer Institute, a nonprofit education and research organization. While we chair the FCC’s […]
ACI Sends a Letter to Senate and House Leadership: HR3 Will Create Drug Shortages
Dear Senate Majority Leader Schumer, House Speaker Pelosi, Senate Republican Leader McConnell, and House Republican Leader McCarthy: As you tackle prescription drug affordability, we urge Congress to remove any international reference pricing proposals out of drug pricing reform legislation. Failure to do so will have the opposite effect of rising healthcare costs for Americans and […]
Real Clear Policy: Hawley Takes the Lead in Washington’s War Against Big Tech’s Consumers
In an era of deep partisan gridlock on Capitol Hill, it seems cracking down on big tech by weaponizing America’s antitrust law is unifying both Democrats and Republicans in a way that has not been seen in a decade. In the modern political landscape, both parties seem more interested in punishing big tech for political […]
Use and Abuse of Antitrust Law
Antitrust is a unique issue in modern American politics. In an era of deep political polarization, there is a bipartisan consensus that Washington should act to rein in big tech’s perceived power. While conservatives argue big tech has a liberal bias and are censoring their speech online, liberals contend that big tech has amassed too […]
New Stimulus Package Makes Americans a Second Priority
The American Rescue Plan (ARP), a $1.9 trillion stimulus package backed by President Biden and recently passed in the House of Representatives, goes beyond its primary intention of providing direct economic relief for American workers. Besides Covid-19 relief measures, the bill contains a bundle of other programs lumped in the package that have little to […]