The American Innovation and Choice Online Act led by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) aims to prevent dominant tech platforms from preferencing their own products and services over rivals.
The bill advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last session, but failed to get a floor vote before the end of the year. Despite its bipartisan support, it also faced opposition from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle — and a fierce opposition lobbying campaign from the tech industry.
“It’s past time to put in place rules of the road to give small businesses and entrepreneurs a chance to compete and bring down costs for all consumers who rely on digital platforms. I won’t stop fighting to get this done,” Klobuchar said in a statement.
Grassley said the bill would “help create a more even playing field” and “ensure that small businesses are able to compete with these platforms and promote an environment for greater consumer choice.”
Although the bill is getting reintroduced in the Senate, it faces slimmer chances of having a fighting chance in the House.
A companion version of the bill in the House advanced out of the House Judiciary Committee last session, as well, but Republican leadership has focused their tech agenda on content moderation battles and have not supported the antitrust reform effort.
When the GOP took control of the House, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who did not support the bill, took over as chair of the House antitrust subcommittee, replacing the GOP’s lead supporter Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.).
And just this week, Rep. Lou Correa (Calif.), one of the Democrats who did not support the antitrust reform bills last Congress during a marathon committee markup, was named ranking member of the antitrust subcommittee.
Correa is taking Democrats’ top spot on the panel, replacing the bill’s leading supporter Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), indicates further struggles for the bill to advance in the lower chamber.
