by Bob Barr | Oct 3, 2023 | Townhall Article |
Daily Caller The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is supposed to protect the public from unfair and deceptive business practices, such as “collusion.” But, what happens if the collusion is being perpetrated by government regulators themselves? Unfortunately, this is precisely what the Biden Administration’s FTC appears to be doing, led by avowed anti-free market advocate Lina Kahn. The regulatory agency Ms. Kahn heads is working to actively break up companies and industries that are operating lawfully in the marketplace, for what clearly appear to be ideological considerations rather than legitimate, honest concerns for consumer welfare. The handwriting for this abuse actually was on the wall as early as 2021, when it became apparent that the FTC was rescinding the long-standing “consumer welfare” standard it had employed since the 1970s, according to which the Commission would not intervene in or seek to regulate businesses or sectors of the economy unless the American people’s interests were being harmed. Sadly, this is no longer the case. Having jettisoned that standard, Kahn is now using her power to attack industries disfavored by her boss, President Joe Biden. Their targets now include prescription drug prices, and consumers may soon feel the results of this new game of regulatory abuse in higher prices at the pharmacy counter. Specifically, Khan is going after “pharmacy benefit managers” or PBMs. These groups are hired by health plan sponsors, including the federal government, insurance companies and employers to go head-to-head with drug companies at the negotiating table to secure lower drug costs for consumers. PBMs have been demonstrably effective at lowering prescription drug costs, as noted in a July 2022 study by Casey B. Mulligan (President Trump’s...
by Bob Barr | Sep 26, 2023 | Daily Caller Article |
Daily Caller Last week, the House Judiciary Committee demonstrated once again that the GOP does not know how to conduct effective oversight of the Executive Branch. The occasion was the appearance of Attorney General Merrick Garland before the Committee for an entire day, at the end of which nothing of value was revealed. Oversight, along with the appropriations power and passing substantive legislation, is one of the three great responsibilities of the Legislative Branch. It has the power to employ congressional committees to question witnesses and gather evidence supposed to ensure that the president and all executive officers, departments and agencies, are operating within the law and consistent with the intent embodied in legislation passed by the Congress. It is, unfortunately, the one power possessed by the Congress that is the least understood and the most often squandered. The Judiciary Committee hearing on September 20th was billed expressly as “Oversight of the Department of Justice,” but the Republican members demonstrated little interest in actual oversight of the massive Department, which includes the FBI, ATF, every United States Attorney in the country and our government’s immigration and border control agencies. Instead, they took the opportunity to beat up on Garland over one matter — Hunter Biden. To be sure, the failure of the Justice Department to seriously investigate or prosecute the “First Son” for what appear to have been numerous, and serious violations of federal law, is a matter deserving of oversight. Additionally, the failure by this Administration to carry out the myriad powers of the Justice Department fairly and transparently, constitutes a political failure that is fair game for the...
by Bob Barr | Sep 21, 2023 | Townhall Article |
Townhall “We have met the enemy and he is us” –Pogo (by Walt Kelly, 1970) The 2024 election is well underway already, with control of the House, the Senate, and the White House all hanging in the balance. Advertisement So, what is the Republican Party doing? Presenting a clear set of priorities to the American electorate? Discussing issues of importance to the average voter? Showcasing leaders with a firm grasp of the issues and ready to take on a vulnerable, aging, and unpopular incumbent president? Nope. Republicans are busy fighting among themselves and squandering a razor-thin House majority pursuing matters having little if anything to do with issues that are uppermost on the minds of voters. This is hardly a recipe for success either in government or at the ballot box, but nowhere to be seen is the adult leadership necessary to right the congressional ship, such as then-Speaker Newt Gingrich brought to the House with the Republican sweep of 1994. In a sense, at least part of the blame for this predicament can be traced to the basic nature of the Republican Party, in which independence and diversity of views is encouraged — the greatest strength and the greatest weakness of the GOP. Unlike the Democrat Party, which as a general rule maintains a strict code in public of philosophical uniformity, Republicans to their credit welcome a wide variety of views on many key legislative issues, such as abortion, spending priorities, and even to a degree, immigration. Ideologic uniformity has never been a core GOP precept. However, to govern successfully in the Congress, a certain level of internal...
