Editor’s note: There was an earlier error in this story regarding the court responsible for approving Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
The House Judiciary Committee’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) oversight hearing on Thursday morning grew increasingly tense.
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) criticized certain Republican lawmakers for their perceived hypocrisy and lack of integrity. These lawmakers, who had questioned FBI Director Christopher Wray’s judgment in a previous hearing, were now interrogating FTC Chair Lina Khan. Cohen accused them of using the Jan. 6 events to overthrow the government in violation of their oath of office.
“Is the gentleman accusing us of a lack of integrity?” one Republican lawmaker interrupted.
“Mr. Chairman, if you would ask whoever it is to shut up?” Cohen responded.
“I’m sure [Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)] will make a ruling when he returns,” the lawmaker quipped.
Cohen’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Shortly after, Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) implied that Khan, who is British-born with Pakistani parents, was being targeted by Republicans due to her ethnicity.
“When we treat a witness who looks like you with the politics of personal destruction, and when we only attack witnesses who look like you with allegations of incompetence and a lack of ability to lead their agency, it’s indicative of the need for this committee to reflect what the American people look like,” Johnson said.
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Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who questioned Khan prior to Johnson’s remarks, objected to the assertion and requested that Johnson’s comments be removed from the record.
“I would ask that that portion of his testimony be taken down as inappropriate and argumentative to and making a racial slur against myself and other members of the Congress, who, by the way, yesterday treated what I would call a very white man of a greater age very similarly,” Issa said.
Republicans criticized Khan for what they perceived as mismanagement of the agency, politically motivated rulemaking, and ineffective action in preventing corporate mergers. They specifically referenced a recent ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California that cleared the way for Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, a ruling that the FTC intends to appeal.
Democrats have generally supported the FTC’s efforts to prevent corporate mergers that could harm consumers and grant excessive power to single businesses in their respective industries.
Jordan attempted to ease tensions by reminding the committee, “We should all engage in proper decorum, not disparage colleagues, not disparage people in the government, not disparage anyone.”
“No personal affront was intended,” Johnson clarified.
This hearing followed a similarly heated hearing held by the committee on Wednesday, during which Republican lawmakers questioned the credibility of the FBI and accused the agency of political bias in its investigations of former President Trump.
Updated at 3:02 p.m.
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