Antitrust officials in Washington and their supporters across the political spectrum are questioning Kamala Harris’s commitment to President Joe Biden’s crusade against America’s biggest companies.
Antitrust has become a top legacy issue for the White House, with Biden’s top corporate regulators launching major suits over insulin prices, financial services, and rental costs. This adds to existing cases against tech giants like Apple, Meta, Google, Amazon, Ticketmaster, and others, putting the next president in a position to either continue or halt this historic push against corporate growth.
The Biden Administration has set a course that may be difficult to change, making Harris’ potential actions as the next president crucial, according to former antitrust official Josh Tzuker.
Although Harris has not explicitly discussed antitrust, the signals she has sent so far have been positive to some antitrust advocates. In her recent economic policy plan, Harris supported several of the Biden administration’s competition moves, addressing issues like price-fixing by landlords and opposing grocery mergers.
However, Harris has been silent on Big Tech, a key focus of Biden’s top antitrust officials, raising concerns among some antitrust advocates. Critics on the left worry about her advisors’ ties to big business, including her brother-in-law Tony West, head Uber lawyer, and debate adviser Karen Dunn, who is leading Google’s defense in an antitrust case.
While Harris’ stance on antitrust remains unclear, her association with advisors like Brian Deese and Bharat Ramamurti suggests she may continue the current administration’s course on economic policy.
With a focus on economic competition gaining popularity, Harris’ proposed policies have resonated with voters, with a poll showing her proposal to ban price-gouging as the most popular economic policy compared to Trump’s.
As the Biden administration’s aggressive approach to competition policy has led to a series of major antitrust suits, the next president faces the challenge of either continuing or changing this course. The overhang of antitrust suits from the current administration will likely impact any successor’s ability to make significant changes in the near future.
