Tech giants like Google, Apple, and Amazon may see a delay in major tech antitrust legislation if Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio is elected as the speaker of the House, according to political strategists and industry lobbyists. They believe that if Jordan becomes the Speaker, Congress is unlikely to take any action against big tech in the near future. Jordan, who won the GOP speaker nomination, faced challenges in assembling the necessary votes to win the gavel in a closely divided chamber. A full floor vote on Jordan’s speakership is scheduled for Tuesday. As Jordan’s campaign gained momentum, lobbyists in Washington raced to determine the potential impact on their clients’ businesses. A Jordan speakership could make it difficult to pass sensible bipartisan legislation to regulate big tech, redirecting attention away from holding these companies accountable.
Jordan, as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has accused tech companies of censoring conservatives on their platforms but has also criticized bipartisan efforts to use antitrust legislation to break up these corporations. For tech giants, bipartisan antitrust legislation passing in Congress poses a greater threat to their businesses than a partisan content moderation bill. Representatives from Amazon, Apple, and Meta did not respond to requests for comment, while a Google spokesman declined to comment. A Jordan speakership could be fortunate for tech giants that have faced scrutiny from Congress and regulators over their monopoly status. Jordan has primarily focused on speech and censorship issues related to the Biden administration’s pressure on companies rather than targeting the companies themselves.
A spokesman for Jordan disagreed with the assessment of his focus, highlighting the subpoenas he has issued to tech companies and his efforts to stop their censorship of speech. Jordan’s approach to big tech antitrust in Congress might explain why lobbyists and PACs for major tech companies have contributed regularly to his reelection campaigns. For example, Google’s PAC alone has donated over $35,000 since 2012 to fund Jordan’s campaigns. Since 2020, Jordan’s campaign and affiliated political action committees have received over $15,000 from PACs and individual lobbyists for tech companies.
However, not everyone in the Republican political ecosystem supports the idea of Jordan having power over tech legislation as House speaker. Some conservatives believe that Jordan has hindered efforts to regulate tech companies. This highlights the divisions within the Republican party regarding tech regulation. It remains to be seen whether Jordan will build consensus or prioritize his own policy preferences as the Speaker of the House.
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