Klobuchar today chaired a Senate Judiciary Antitrust hearing where she pressed top officials from AT&T and DIRECTV for answers about how the proposed merger would impact prices, innovation, and the range of services offered to American families 

Klobuchar and Senator Mike Lee, ranking member of the Antitrust Committee, recently called on the Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission to assess how AT&T’s proposed acquisition of DIRECTV would affect consumers 

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) today chaired a Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee hearing on the proposed AT&T-DIRECTV merger where she focused on the importance of consumer protection and competition in the video and wireless markets. Klobuchar chairs the Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee and at the hearing pressed top officials from AT&T and DIRECTV for answers about how the proposed merger would impact prices, innovation, and the range of services offered to American families.

“We’re not here to judge whether the merger is better for the bottom lines of these two companies or their shareholders, we’ll leave that to Wall Street. What we’re here to do is to make sense of what it will mean for consumers across the country,” Klobuchar said. “Today’s hearing was an opportunity to examine the effect this proposed merger would have on competition, innovation, and the prices, choices, and service offered to American families, and I will continue to do everything I can to protect consumers and competition in this industry.”

Witnesses at today’s hearing included: Randall L. Stephenson, President and Chief Executive Officer, AT&T, Dallas, TX; Michael D. White, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, DIRECTV, El Segundo, CA; Christopher Keyser, President, Writers Guild of America West, Los Angeles, CA;  Matthew F. Wood, Policy Director, Free Press, Washington, DC; Larry Downes, Project Director, Georgetown University, Center for Business and Public Policy, Washington, DC; and Ross J. Lieberman, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, American Cable Association, Washington, DC.

Klobuchar and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee, recently sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging them to assess the impact that the proposed merger could have on consumers, including price, choice, and quality of service.