Antitrust Modernization Commission Continues Hearings
Washington, D.C., March 24, 2006 — The Antitrust Modernization Commission (AMC) held a hearing March 21 with Thomas O. Barnett, assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, and Deborah Platt Majoras, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), testifying. The AMC has heard testimony on antitrust laws in the United States from an array of panelists in a series of hearings.
The AMC was created by Congress to provide a complete and extensive report on whether antitrust laws in the United States need to be modernized. This report will incorporate a variety of testimony and views from various parties associated with the function of antitrust laws.
The AMC consists of 12 bipartisan members. Of the 12 members, four were commissioned by President George W. Bush, four were appointed by Senate leaders, and four by the leadership of the House of Representatives. The deadline for the report is April 2007, when the report will be submitted to Congress and the president.
ASA was a strong advocate and proponent of the creation of the AMC and worked with the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee.
"Fundamentally, antitrust exemptions are inconsistent with a central premise of U.S. economic policy - that vigorous competition in a free market, protected by the sound application of the antitrust laws, is the best approach to promote consumer welfare and efficiency. Thus, the potential for antitrust exemptions to harm consumers and the economy is substantial," Platt Majoras testified.
To read the testimonies of the Barnett and Platt Majoras, visit the "Transcripts" section of TakingTheHill's Press Center (www.TakingTheHill.com).
The Automotive Service Association is the largest not-for-profit trade association of its kind dedicated to and governed by independent automotive service and repair professionals. ASA serves an international membership base that includes numerous affiliate, state and chapter groups from both the mechanical and collision repair segments of the automotive service industry. ASA's headquarters is in Bedford, Texas.
ASA advances professionalism and excellence in the automotive repair industry through education, representation and member services. For additional information about ASA, including past news releases, go to www.asashop.org, or visit ASA's legislative Web site at www.TakingTheHill.com.
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