FTC’s Lina Khan Presses Ahead With Antitrust Agenda Despite Republican Opposition

Republican lawmakers have consistently expressed criticism towards regulatory agencies and their leaders within the Biden administration, including Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan.

According to CNBC, there is regular scrutiny across agencies with a partisan approach, including criticism of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg during the Southwest Airlines crisis and calls from Republicans to disempower the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under Director Rohit Chopra.

Khan, age 34 and the sole individual of Asian descent to lead the FTC as well as the first person of color to do so in five years, is currently navigating a contentious dispute between corporations and the government during a time of increased social media influence and calls for greater worker independence.

Read more: FTC Republicans Ask For Evidence In Gasoline Price Probe

A woman who was born in London to Pakistani parents has stated that she and her family were treated with suspicion after they relocated to the United States following the events of September 11th. She was 11 years old at the time.

Despite facing discrimination, Khan’s success in the antitrust field began during her time as a student at Yale University Law School. Her 2017 paper, “Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox,” drew increased attention to the e-commerce company.

According to a 2021 profile in The New Yorker, she developed an interest in antitrust while working at the Open Markets Program, a think tank in Washington, D.C. that analyzes the impact of monopolies on economic competition and growth.