PPI Statement on White House Executive Order on Promoting Competition
The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) released the following statement on the Biden administration’s Executive Order aimed at promoting competition. The bulk of this Executive Order is appropriately focused on problems caused by a lack of competition in labor markets, agricultural markets, and health care markets. The 72 initiatives included in this order will solve many of those problems and deliver concrete, tangible benefits for Americans.
“The Progressive Policy Institute commends the Biden administration for working to level the playing field for American consumers. This whole-of-government approach will put workers and families first, a promise the president made during his campaign that he is delivering on today.
“The administration’s actions to ban non-compete agreements and reduce unnecessary occupational licensing will make it easier for workers to pursue economic opportunity and increase their power in the labor market. The order also lowers the costs of medical devices by allowing patients to purchase hearing aids over the counter. Consumers will save money on their internet bills with new rules banning excessive early termination fees and new transparency requirements that will make comparison shopping easier. Changes to the airline industry will make it easier for consumers to get refunds and force airlines to display all add-on fees upfront. Lastly, the order highlights the real harms caused by hospital consolidation in recent decades and directs antitrust enforcement agencies to review and revise their merger guidelines to protect patients.
“While we celebrate many reforms and initiatives in this Executive Order, we are also concerned by policies that could potentially harm job-creating sectors and growth as we recover from the pandemic, including constraints on tech/e-commerce innovation and a return to the long-ago solved issue of net neutrality.
“We hope that the administration also engages with Congress to create meaningful, codified reforms that support consumers for generations to come. Legislative action is necessary to ensure the enduring legacy of these historic initiatives.”
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