Return from Recess

Members of the House and Senate will both return to Washington on Monday after spending August in their states and districts.

Third Hearing on Online Platforms and Market Power

Next Thursday, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law will hold the third in its series of hearings on Online Platforms and Market Power, this one focused on “The Role of Data and Privacy in Competition.”

Oversight of the Enforcement of the Antitrust Laws Hearing Scheduled

On September 17, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights will hold a hearing on “Oversight of the Enforcement of the Antitrust Laws” during which Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Joseph Simons and Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim will testify. The hearing will focus on the agencies’ recent actions related to the technology sector. The Subcommittee will also hold a hearing on September 24 to examine the impact of recent digital platform mergers.

Senate Democratic Priorities

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) sent a letter to his Democratic colleagues Thursday outlining his priorities for the remainder of 2019, including legislation to address gun violence, election security, the Affordable Care Act, pension benefits, and Hong Kong human rights. Specifically, Schumer said he will continue to push Majority Leader McConnell (R-KY) to bring H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, to the floor. The bill passed the House in February 240-190 with support from eight Republicans.

California Consumer Privacy Act

With the California legislative session ending next Friday, today is the last day that bills can be amended on the floor. At this time, efforts to secure major changes to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), set to go into effect in January 2020, have stalled.

Read more in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Emerging Technologies Washington Update.