Senators Hawley, Baldwin Ask FTC to Open Antitrust Investigation into Meatpackers Amid Plant Closures

U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to open an antitrust investigation into the meatpacking industry. The industry is currently dominated by just a handful of large, multinational firms that have concentrated meat processing into fewer and fewer facilities, leaving America’s food supply chain vulnerable to disruptions.
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Sen. Hawley Writes to Treasury, SBA: Don’t Let Wall Street Greed Undermine Small Biz Loan Program

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza asking they conduct rigorous oversight of the implementation of the Paycheck Protection Program. In the letter Senator Hawley condemns big banks who offered wealthy clients VIP treatment, fast-tracking their applications at the expense of other small businesses who may have applied first.
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Senator Hawley Requests Criminal Antitrust Investigation of Amazon

Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr requesting the Department of Justice (DOJ) open a criminal antitrust investigation of Amazon. Recent reporting has revealed that Amazon uses its position as an online platform to stifle competition by collecting detailed data on merchandise in order to create rival products under its own brand. "Abusing one’s position as a marketplace platform to create copycat products always is bad, but it is especially...
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Hawley, Blunt Urge Administration to Ensure Smaller Colleges & Universities With Work-Study Programs Are Eligible for CARES Act Funding

"It has been brought to our attention that federal work-study students are counted in some cases as employees for purposes of PPP. While the CARES Act defines the term ‘employee’ to include ‘individuals employed on a full-time, part-time, or other basis,’ congressional intent is to stabilize small businesses and non-profits in order to incentivize keeping employees on their employers’ payroll. This purpose is distinct from that of the federal work-study program, and including those students in...
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Senator Hawley Announces Bill to Ban Universities from Relief Funds Until Endowments Tapped

Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced legislation to prohibit universities from receiving Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds from the CARES Act if they have an endowment larger than $10 billion, unless they first spend some of their own money on coronavirus-related financial assistance for students.

Under the proposal, universities with over $10 billion in endowments would have to spend 10 times the amount appropriated to them according to the formula in the CARES Act to be...

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Senator Hawley Calls on Google, Apple CEOs to Commit to be Personally Liable for Protecting Privacy in COVID-19 Response

"If you seek to assure the public, make your stake in this project personal. Make a commitment that you and other executives will be personally liable if you stop protecting privacy, such as by granting advertising companies access to the interface once the pandemic is over. The public statements you make now can be enforced under federal and state consumer protection laws. Do not hide behind a corporate shield like so many privacy offenders have before. Stake your personal finances on the...
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Senator Hawley, Colleagues Call for Financial Security for Rural Communities in Midst of COVID-19 Crisis

Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) joined a bipartisan group of senators on a letter calling for the Senate to finally provide much-needed financial certainty during the coronavirus pandemic for rural communities to ensure long-term funding needed for essential services.

In a letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the senators pushed for, "a long-term solution for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self...

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Hawley, Blunt Join Bipartisan Effort Urging USDA to Support Pork Producers

Missouri Senators Josh Hawley and Roy Blunt joined a bipartisan letter urging U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue to take immediate action to assist pork producers and maintain the pork food supply chain. “We hope this component of the supply chain is restored quickly,” the members of Congress wrote. “However, in the event that producers are unable to schedule harvest of their hogs, we request that you consider how to use your existing authorities and available funds to...
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