Politics

Progressive Dems criticize Biden administration for reliance on input from big tech execs in policy making

by on

More in Politics:

Some leading progressive Democrats in Congress have spoken out against the Biden White House this week about its alleged tight relationship with big tech executives when it comes to policy making.

Senator Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Pramila Jayapal penned a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, requesting information on how much the Biden administration has relied on its relationships with executives and workers from Big Tech outfits like Amazon, Google and Facebook, when it comes to legislation. 

“The abundance of Big Tech alumni within the department raises concerns that the needs of consumers, workers and small businesses are ignored in favor of Big Tech’s profits and priorities,” Warren and Jayapal wrote.

They added, “We request further information about the role of former Big Tech employees in digital trade policy, and the safeguards that the Commerce Department has in place to prevent corruption and ensure that corporate interests do not undermine the digital rights of global consumers, workers, and small businesses.”

The letter specifically calls out members of Raimondo’s own staff, which includes former Amazon and Google employees.

The letter comes just days after President Biden selected a third Assistant Attorney General at the Department of Justice, Jonathan Kanter, to serve on the DOJ antitrust division. The selection serves as the latest warning to Big Tech that the Biden administration may be responding to progressive calls to crack down on monopolies.

Last year Biden appointed Lina Khan Chair of the Federal Trade Commission. Khan is a well-known antitrust expert who previously served as counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law.

ARTICLE: LAURA SPIVAK

MANAGING EDITOR: CARSON CHOATE

PHOTO CREDITS: NEW YORK TIMES

The following two tabs change content below.

Laura Spivak

Laura is a freelance writer out of Maryland and a mom of three. Her background is in political science and international relations, and she has been doing political writing and editing for 17 years. Laura has also written parenting pieces for the Today Show and is currently working on writing a collection of remarkable true stories about normal people. She writes for FBA because unbiased news is vital to unity, and readers deserve the facts free of opinion.

Laura is a freelance writer out of Maryland and a mom of three. Her background is in political science and international relations, and she has been doing political writing and editing for 17 years. Laura has also written parenting pieces for the Today Show and is currently working on writing a collection of remarkable true stories about normal people. She writes for FBA because unbiased news is vital to unity, and readers deserve the facts free of opinion.

Leave a Reply