Congress running out of time on its Big Tech antitrust bill:
The bipartisan antitrust bill that aims to prevent Big Tech firms favoring their own services, faces a setback as Congress heads for its August recess without a vote.
There have already been doubts over whether there is sufficient support to pass the American Choice and Innovation Act in to law. Senate Majority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer said in July that the bill remained "high priority," but did not then have the 60 votes needed.
Schumer also said then that he did not believe that putting the bill to a vote would successfully pressure sufficient undecided voters. Now according to the Wall Street Journal, Schumer intends to hold a vote in September, following the August Congress recess.
However, the number of legislative days available to pass the bill is shrinking. Big Tech firms can effectively declare victory if Congress fails to vote.
"If the bill had the support its supporters contended, it wouldn't be a bill, it would be a law," Matt Schruers, president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, told the Wall Street Journal. The association describes itself as an "advocacy organization," and its members include Apple, Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet.
(Score: 2) by driverless on Wednesday August 10 2022, @09:08AM (4 children)
I mean Congress has only just passed the Build Back Bigger and Brighter and... Bungee... Broccoli... some more B's Act, and before that Obamacare in 2010, that's at least one achievement per decade. You can't expect them to pass two significant laws in the same decade can you?
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Wednesday August 10 2022, @10:48AM (1 child)
Especially when Nancy Pelosi's constituents include the poor beleaguered executives in Silicon Valley. Won't somebody think of the executives?
This definitely looks like the sort of thing where the Democrats will go to their constituents and tell them that they really wanted to protect them from tech monopolies, but they just couldn't find the time, and that's definitely their real reason and not the donation pattern from the tech industry [opensecrets.org].
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by gnuman on Wednesday August 10 2022, @12:40PM
So who's blocking it? Get your blinders off for a second. I don't see Republicans clamoring to get a vote on this except to vote NO. But then somehow in the heads of the people that vote Republican, it's all Nancy this and OAC that. Reality?? Still seeing it?
And this has literally ZERO to do with Nancy or AOC because it's Senate. Do the vote and then you'll see who opposes what. Somehow I have to say that Republican voters will blame Nancy or Biden for it regardless how many of their "representatives" vote no and yes to the status quo.
:brain explosion:
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Wednesday August 10 2022, @01:39PM
You're counting Obamacare as a win? I'm the only one I know of that it's actually helped. That was essentially, because it forced my employer to add my wife to their insurance. Literally everyone's insurance bill went up. Then, shortly after that we got the whole, track everything nonsense that is now required. Or you can pay them more for the privilege of slightly worse insurance. I would say it broke things, more than it helped things.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by driverless on Wednesday August 10 2022, @02:22PM
Before that gets interpreted any further as a US political comment, I'm not in the US and don't care much about US politics so that's not pro- or anti- Democrat or Republican. Obamacare and the BBBBBBC Act seem to be the only thing of any significance that Congress has achieved in the last 20 years, and by global political standards both are pretty minor things apart from the monetary amounts involved. So it was more snark at the fact that Congress seems to be totally unable to get anything done.
Have you guys considered the Belgian approach of just having no government for awhile? Is there a US equivalent of King Albert who decides when a government can be formed, and/or that the current lot isn't fit to run a game of tag?
(Score: 5, Touché) by GlennC on Wednesday August 10 2022, @12:22PM
This is simply Congress' reminder to their corporate owners that their "campaign contributions" are due.
Sorry folks...the world is bigger and more varied than you want it to be. Deal with it.