Comment Of Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.,
Ranking Member, Judiciary Committee,
On DOJ’s Determination In The AT&T/BellSouth Merger
October 11, 2006 

“Today’s action – or inaction – by the Department of Justice is one more example of this Administration thumbing its nose at Congress and the courts, one more example of siding with big business over consumers. 

“Only two weeks ago, Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle urged the Department not to act prematurely on the AT&T/BellSouth merger, but to instead await the outcome of the ongoing court proceeding in other mega-telecommunications mergers – which raises the same competitive concerns – and to place specific conditions on the merger to protect competition. 

“By approving the merger without any conditions, the Administration is avoiding court review, ignoring Congress and protecting big business at consumers’ expense. 

“Congress must be vigilant -- if the Bush Administration will not be -- to protect consumers from anticompetitive actions and attempts at re-monopolization.  

“Since the enactment of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which I voted against, I have warned that the concentration of ownership in the telecommunications industry is outstripping the growth of competition.  Old monopolies are simply regrouping and getting bigger and bigger. 

“This unending wave of mergers is not helping rural America get better phone service, and it is doing nothing good for consumers in general.”

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