Franken, 10 Other Senators Seek DOJ Rejection of AT&T/TW
Al Franken, D-Minn., and 10 other senators urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions Wednesday to reject AT&T's buy of Time Warner, saying it would result in far too much media consolidation and would hurt consumers. “While we cannot possibly predict all…
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the harms that could arise from this deal, we maintain that AT&T's proposed acquisition of Time Warner would result in higher prices, fewer choices, and worse service for consumers,” the senators wrote Sessions. “We hope you'll take a stand for U.S. consumers and businesses and closely scrutinize the transaction. Should you determine that the substantial harms arising from the transaction outweigh the purported benefits, we urge you to reject it.” The letter follows a Franken-led push in January for AT&T to adopt a “public interest statement” on TW amid concerns that the FCC wouldn't review the takeover (see 1701250076). Nine of the senators who signed onto Franken's letter to Sessions -- Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio; Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.; Ed Markey, D-Mass.; Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; and Ron Wyden, D-Ore. -- also had pressed for the AT&T public interest statement. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., signed the Sessions letter but had not joined the earlier statement request. The person who sent us a draft of Franken's letter Wednesday ahead of its release noted Franken was trying to get all of the senators who had signed on to the AT&T letter to push Sessions to reject the TW deal. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill. and Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., had supported the AT&T statement but didn't sign the Sessions letter. AT&T has “addressed all of the issues raised by this letter in AT&T’s and Time Warner’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee” last year, its February response to the public interest statement request and in the course of DOJ's review, a spokesman said. “We’ve highlighted how our merger is about giving consumers more choices, not less.” AT&T “also detailed how the transaction will expand distribution and creative opportunities for diverse and independent voices,” the spokesman said.