{"id":1000372,"date":"2021-11-11T19:58:32","date_gmt":"2021-11-12T00:58:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1000372"},"modified":"2021-11-11T19:58:36","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T00:58:36","slug":"republicans-test-uneasy-bipartisan-alliance-in-push-to-rein-in-big-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-test-uneasy-bipartisan-alliance-in-push-to-rein-in-big-tech\/","title":{"rendered":"Republicans Test Uneasy Bipartisan Alliance In Push To Rein In Big Tech"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frepublicans-test-uneasy-bipartisan-alliance-in-push-to-rein-in-big-tech%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1000372&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><ul>\n<li><strong>As bipartisan legislation reining in major tech companies moves closer to becoming law, Republicans are pushing the boundaries of their alliance with Democrats.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cThe Democrats want to restrict speech more. And the Republicans want to allow more speech. And there\u2019s really an issue on how to bridge that gap,\u201d Rep. Ken Buck said in an interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>While the antitrust bills have earned GOP support, some Republicans have raised concerns that the legislation would further empower antitrust enforcement agencies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), currently led by Democrat Lina Khan.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>The House antitrust package is likely to hit the floor by the end of the year, according to Buck, who is hopeful that support from Senate Republicans will convince House lawmakers to get on board.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As bipartisan legislation reining in major tech companies moves closer to becoming law, Republicans are pushing the boundaries of their alliance with Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>Republican Rep. Ken Buck and Democratic Rep. David Cicilline, the architects behind six <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/10\/04\/ken-buck-big-tech-antitrust-republican\/\">antitrust bills<\/a> targeting Big Tech that advanced out of the House Judiciary Committee in June, introduced a <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/11\/09\/ken-buck-david-cicilline-big-tech-algorithms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">bill<\/a> Tuesday requiring online platforms to provide a version of their services without personalized recommendation algorithms. The bill is a companion to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thune.senate.gov\/public\/index.cfm\/2019\/11\/thune-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-increase-internet-platform-transparency-and-provide-consumers-with-greater-control-over-digital-content\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">legislation<\/a> led by Republican Sen. John Thune and co-sponsored by several Democratic senators including Richard Blumenthal, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar unveiled a companion <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/11\/05\/tom-cotton-amy-klobuchar-antitrust-big-tech\/\">bill<\/a> to House legislation restricting major tech companies\u2019 ability to merge with smaller firms. The bill is Klobuchar\u2019s second recent antitrust effort following <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/10\/14\/bipartisan-antitrust-amy-klobuchar-chuck-grassley-big-tech\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">legislation<\/a> co-sponsored by Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley in late October aiming to prevent tech platforms from prioritizing their own services.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7214307\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" readability=\"38\">\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7214307\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) speaks during a hearing to examine United States Special Operations Command and United States Cyber Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2022 and the Future Years Defense Program, on Capitol Hill on March 25, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik-Pool\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>While both parties are united in their efforts to regulate tech platforms, each have very different assessments of Big Tech\u2019s central problems, and Republicans hope the bipartisan bills strike a careful balance. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/10\/21\/ken-buck-david-cicilline-frances-haugen-facebook\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(RELATED: Top House Antitrust Lawmakers Held Meeting With Facebook Whistleblower)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Democrats want to restrict speech more. And the Republicans want to allow more speech. And there\u2019s really an issue on how to bridge that gap,\u201d Rep. Ken Buck said in an interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats have introduced several bills intended to limit certain online speech such as misinformation, with Sen. Amy Klobuchar proposing <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/07\/22\/democrats-facebook-section-230-misinformation\/\">legislation<\/a> removing Section 230 liability protections from tech platforms that promote \u201chealth misinformation\u201d as defined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. House Democrats introduced a <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/10\/14\/frank-pallone-big-tech-facebook-frances-haugen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">bill<\/a> in October holding tech platforms liable for amplifying content causing physical or emotional injury.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans have also targeted Section 230 albeit for much different reasons, with a <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2019\/06\/19\/josh-hawley-big-tech-censorship\/\">bill<\/a>&nbsp;proposed in 2019 by Sen. Josh Hawley removing liability protections from tech platforms that fail to maintain a standard of political neutrality when moderating content.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think that you\u2019re going to see a Section 230 bill pass with large bipartisan majorities in the near future, because there\u2019s a difference of opinion,\u201d Buck said.<\/p>\n<p>While the antitrust bills have earned GOP support, some Republicans have raised concerns that the legislation would further empower antitrust enforcement agencies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), currently led by Democrat Lina Khan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is about power going to the FTC, the collusion of Big Tech and Big Government to, I think, further censor conservatives, further make limits on our free speech rights,\u201d Rep. Jim Jordan, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews4.com\/news\/nation-world\/rep-jim-jordan-dems-bills-on-big-tech-would-further-censor-conservatives\">told<\/a>&nbsp;ABC News after the bills were passed through committee.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7231850\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" readability=\"34\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7231850\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7231850\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/jimjordan-scaled-e1625677214451.jpg\" alt=\"Rep Jim Jordan speaks during the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law hearing. (Photo by Mandel Ngan-Pool\/Getty Images)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/jimjordan-scaled-e1625677214451.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/jimjordan-scaled-e1625677214451-279x120.jpg 279w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/jimjordan-scaled-e1625677214451-620x266.jpg 620w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/jimjordan-scaled-e1625677214451-768x330.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/jimjordan-scaled-e1625677214451-1536x660.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/jimjordan-scaled-e1625677214451-2048x880.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7231850\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rep Jim Jordan speaks during the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law hearing. (Photo by Mandel Ngan-Pool\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Jordan, along with fellow Republicans Rep. Darrell Issa and Sen. Mike Lee, have <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/10\/01\/lina-khan-federal-trade-commission-republican-jim-jordan-darrell-issa\/\">criticized<\/a> Khan\u2019s tenure as FTC chairwoman, with Jordan describing her as \u201cradical and partisan\u201d and Lee calling her reforms a \u201cprogressive putsch.\u201d <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/10\/28\/google-antitrust-bills-big-tech-amazon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(RELATED: Google Is Emailing Customers To Oppose Big Tech Antitrust Bills)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Cotton and Klobuchar\u2019s bill and its House companion expand the FTC and the Department of Justice\u2019s authority over certain mergers. The bill, which almost exclusively targets large tech companies, shifts the burden of presumption in merger reviews to acquiring firms, meaning that businesses merging with smaller companies must prove their mergers are not anti-competitive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is still relatively unclear what companies will become covered entities,\u201d Ashley Baker, director of public policy at the Committee For Justice, told the DCNF. \u201cUltimately, that is a matter for the DOJ and the FTC to decide, which doesn\u2019t exactly inspire much confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs the burden of proof shifts to the acquiring firms, this bill would further empower an already aggressive and radical FTC by essentially creating a presumption of mergers being illegal,\u201d James Czerniawski, tech and innovation policy analyst at Americans for Prosperity, told the DCNF.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7229268\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" readability=\"35\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7229268\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7229268\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/leeklobuchar-scaled-e1625255193684.jpg\" alt=\"U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) confer during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill. (Photo by Win McNamee\/Getty Images)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/leeklobuchar-scaled-e1625255193684.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/leeklobuchar-scaled-e1625255193684-279x120.jpg 279w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/leeklobuchar-scaled-e1625255193684-620x266.jpg 620w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/leeklobuchar-scaled-e1625255193684-768x330.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/leeklobuchar-scaled-e1625255193684-1536x660.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/leeklobuchar-scaled-e1625255193684-2048x880.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7229268\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) confer during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill March 19, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>A senior aide for Sen. Cotton pointed to changes in the Senate version of the bill restricting the agency\u2019s discretion over which firms were covered by the legislation. Cotton had pushed to implement these changes in response to concerns with empowering the FTC, the aide said.<\/p>\n<p>Many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/senators-from-walmart-and-target-country-craft-anti-amazon-bill\">critics<\/a>&nbsp;of the bill were also <a href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2021\/11\/08\/amy-klobuchar-tom-cotton-big-tech-monopoly-amazon-target-walmart\/\">quick<\/a>&nbsp;to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PatHedger18\/status\/1456668679064768515\">point<\/a>&nbsp;out that the legislation would exempt smaller, but still large, e-commerce businesses such as those belonging to Target, based in Klobuchar\u2019s home state of Minnesota, and Walmart, headquartered in Cotton\u2019s home state of Arkansas.<\/p>\n<p>Cotton\u2019s aide dismissed charges of cronyism, pointing to the fact that only the largest tech companies like Facebook, Amazon and Google would be covered by the bill, and that these companies were uniquely monopolistic. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/09\/01\/department-of-justice-google-facebook-advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(RELATED: DOJ Prepares Second Antitrust Suit Against Google Over Digital Ads: REPORT)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The House antitrust package is likely to hit the floor by the end of the year, according to Buck, who is hopeful that support from Senate Republicans will convince House lawmakers to get on board.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think their [House Republicans]&nbsp;concerns have been minimized,\u201d Buck told the DCNF.&nbsp;\u201cSen.&nbsp;Hawley is co-sponsoring some bills. Sen. Cruz is co-sponsoring some bills. Hard to call these Democrat bills.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact <a href=\"mailto:licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org\">licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As bipartisan legislation reining in major tech companies moves closer to becoming law, Republicans are pushing the boundaries of their alliance with Democrats. \u201cThe Democrats want to restrict speech more. &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1000372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1000372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/96"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1000372"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1000372\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1000372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1000372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1000372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}