The Obama administration said it “strongly opposes” a bill that would strip some powers from the Federal Trade Commission, although it stopped short of saying it would veto the bill, according to the Office of Management and Budget.
The Standard Merger and Acquisition Reviews Through Equal Rules Act of 2015, authored by Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, will be considered by the House on Tuesday. The White House’s official statement on the bill said it would hinder the FTC in its efforts to ensure competition and protect consumers.
“The FTC plays an important role in advancing consumers’ interests and promoting competition,” the statement said. “For over a century, the FTC has used its administrative process to challenge anticompetitive mergers and protect consumers.”
The bill, which is before the House Rules Committee Monday night, would amend the Clayton Act and the Federal Trade Commission Act to prevent the FTC from challenging pending mergers through administrative adjudication, among other things.
The proposed changes “are unnecessary and threaten to undermine the FTC’s important role in protecting competition and consumers,” OMB stated. “While the process the FTC uses to challenge mergers differs from [the Justice Department’s], there is no evidence that it affects outcomes or prejudices parties.”
