Biden’s pro-competition agenda put to the test as net neutrality, tech trials take shape
Summary
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks prior to signing an executive order on "promoting competition in the American economy" during an event in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington U.S., July 9, 2021. Shortly after that, the Federal Communications Commission chair announced a proposal to reinstate net neutrality rules, which prohibit internet service providers from favoring certain websites over others. Biden laid out his competition goals in an executive order issued in 2021, which urged the FCC to restore net neutrality rules and for the FTC to "challenge prior bad mergers," among other things. Since the time of the executive order, Hannah Garden-Monheit, director of Competition Council policy at the White House, said those principles have "built up a lot of momentum" and have "become embedded and institutionalized in the work of the government." Wu and other net neutrality advocates have blamed the telecom industry for opposing Bidens initial FCC nominee, Gigi Sohn, holding up her nomination for well over a year until she ultimately withdrew.