With the U.S. presidency potentially set to change hands in the near future, antitrust officials in Washington and their supporters are keen to know where Vice President Kamala Harris stands on President Joe Biden’s aggressive approach against America’s biggest corporations. Antitrust has become a significant issue in the White House, with major suits launched over insulin prices, financial services, and rental costs, on top of existing cases against Apple, Meta, Google, Amazon, Ticketmaster and more. This situation places the next president in the position to either carry forward Biden’s historic push against corporate growth or halt it.
There are murmurs of concern, particularly from Harris’ critics on the left, related to her connections to big business. For instance, her brother-in-law, Tony West, is a leading lawyer for Uber, and her debate adviser Karen Dunn is a corporate lawyer currently defending Google in an antitrust case. Harris’ silence on demands from major donors such as LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman to dismiss FTC Chair Lina Khan also raises eyebrows among antimonopoly advocates.
The Signals So Far
While Harris has not commented extensively on antitrust, some of her actions have been encouraging for antitrust advocates. As part of her economic policy plan, Harris has indicated her support for several Biden administration competition moves. These include:
– Condemning price-fixing by landlords, an issue that the Justice Department is addressing in a suit against a software company.
– Criticizing grocery mergers while the Federal Trade Commission awaits a decision on its lawsuit to block the megadeal between Kroger and Albertsons.
However, she has remained silent on the issue of Big Tech, a major focus of Biden’s top antitrust officials, Lina Khan at the FTC and Jonathan Kanter at the DOJ.
Advisers and Potential Policy Directions
Some of Harris’ advisers are likely to influence her stance on antitrust issues. Brian Deese, former Biden National Economic Council director, is advising Harris on economic policy, and Bharat Ramamurti, Deese’s former deputy, is also in her orbit. Rachel Brown, who led competition policy at the NEC, recently joined the Harris campaign. These individuals’ involvement indicates that Harris may continue along the path set by Biden.
Implications for the Future
The handling of antitrust suits by the next president will significantly impact the country’s economic landscape. The momentum of the movement against corporate growth could be jeopardized not only if former President Donald Trump wins and eases up on corporate growth, but also if Harris wins and takes office without the same fervor as Biden.
The Biden administration’s focus on economic competition has proven popular with voters, making antitrust a topic of national conversation and even influencing pop culture. Regardless of the outcome, the next president will inherit a series of major suits against powerful corporations. These cases will take years to resolve, making it difficult for any successor to dramatically alter the course of action.
While the final say on Harris’ commitment to antitrust remains uncertain, her policy proposals so far align with the current administration’s approach. The ultimate test will be in her appointments and actions once in office. Despite the concerns, the broad themes of her economic policy plans do not suggest a drastic departure from Biden’s antitrust program.
