Our Trust-Busting Justice Department

Republicans emphatically oppose an overreaching Federal Government interfering with business. Except when they don’t. Republicans are strongly in favor of the rights of states to handle their own internal affairs. Except when they aren’t.

As part of the current occupant of the White House’s War on Anything Obama, the Environmental Protection Agency rescinded regulations mandating increased automobile fuel economy. The regs, issued in 2011, required automobile manufacturers to produce average fuel economy of 50 miles per gallon by the year 2025. The present-day EPA stated that fewer emissions was a noble goal but it would make cars more expensive and somehow less safe and so isn’t worth it

Even the carmakers are opposed to this rollback which will increase fuel consumption by an estimated 500,00 barrels per day. Meanwhile, the state of California worked out a compromise deal with Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW. The agreement between California and the four auto manufacturers will significantly increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, although at levels below the 2011 mandate. These four automakers represent 30% of U.S. production. California is working to bring other manufacturers into the agreement. As California goes, so goes the rest of the country. To date, thirteen additional states have signed on to California’s compromise.

The current administration is having none of it. The Justice Department has announced its investigation into possible anti-trust violations. The DOJ contends that only the Federal Government can regulate emission standards; states cannot set their own standards.

  • “Henry Ford would be very disappointed if he saw his modern-day descendants wanting to build a much more expensive car, that is far less safe and doesn’t work as well, because execs don’t want to fight California regulators.” — Tweeter-in-Chief
  • “A handful of irresponsible auto makers are aiding California’s radical agenda that will hurt every one of us. California is trying to impose its failed policies on the rest of the country.” — Russ Vought, the acting director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget
  • “We look forward to responding to the Department of Justice to explain the planned (California Air Resources Board ) framework agreement and its benefits to consumers and the environment.” — BMW

Or there is the AT&T approach. The Department of Justice brought suit to stop AT&T’s $85 billion purchase of Time Warner. AT&T contributed $2 million to the 2017 presidential inaugural bacchanal. Coincidentally, the AT&T-Timer Warner merger later went through.

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