Top Antitrust Enforcers Respond To Congressional Questioning

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Edith Ramirez and Assistant Attorney General William Baer testified before the House Committee on the Judiciary's Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law on May 15, 2015. The oversight hearing provided an opportunity for the heads of the U.S. antitrust enforcement agencies to survey their agencies' priorities and recent achievements. The two agency heads also faced congressional questions on a variety of topics ranging from proposed reforms to the FTC's merger review process to the alleged unfair targeting of foreign firms by Chinese antitrust authorities.

In her prepared testimony, Chairwoman Ramirez reviewed her agency's recent activity, emphasizing especially recent U.S. Supreme Court and appellate court victories. She reiterated the agency's strategic focus on core areas of concern, including health care, where the agency continues to review health care provider and pharmaceutical industry mergers