House Republicans Propose Shifting FTC Antitrust Duties to Justice Department

The House Judiciary Committee on Monday introduced a proposal to transfer antitrust responsibilities from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to the Department of Justice (DOJ), according to Reuters.

The initiative is part of a broader budget reconciliation package and would provide funding to facilitate the transfer of both personnel and active cases from the FTC to the DOJ. The proposal aligns with long-standing Republican efforts to consolidate federal antitrust enforcement under a single agency, aiming to streamline operations and reduce bureaucratic overlap, per Reuters.

The plan reflects the language of legislation introduced by Representative Ben Cline, a Republican from Virginia, which calls for eliminating the FTC’s role in antitrust matters. It also grants the head of the DOJ’s antitrust division the authority to restructure the newly combined enforcement body. This mirrors past legislative efforts from Senator Mike Lee of Utah, who has repeatedly pushed for such a merger in earlier sessions of Congress.

Read more: House Republicans Investigate CVS Caremark Over Alleged Antitrust Violations

While the FTC declined to comment on the development, the proposal raises significant questions about the future of antitrust regulation in the U.S. and the independence of the agencies involved.

The success of the measure remains uncertain. However, since it is part of a budget reconciliation bill, it could pass the Senate with a simple majority, avoiding the typical 60-vote threshold required to overcome a filibuster—a route more accessible in the current Republican-controlled Senate.

Source: Reuters