A PYMNTS Company

US: House Committee balances FTC, DOJ merger review powers

By  |  September 16, 2014

The House Judiciary Committee has reportedly passed legislation to eliminate certain discrepancies between merger reviews conducted by the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    Reports say the committee passed the legislation on September 10. The proposed rules would streamline merger reviews and various other antitrust procedures that, under current law, differ between whether the DOJ or FTC is conducting the review.

    Reports say the legislation would amend the Clayton Act and the Federal Trade Commission Act to provide the watchdogs with consistent processes when moving to block a merger. Officials are looking to extend the same powers held by the DOJ to the FTC.

    The bill also eliminates the FTC’s power to initiate an administrative proceeding to challenge a merger; that power would be preserved in other contexts, but in regards to a merger the FTC would need to file a complaint in federal district court to block a deal, the same process currently followed by the DOJ.

    Full content: JDSupra

    Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.