-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, this week, the Senate will consider Jonathan Kanter's nomination to be Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Antitrust Division.

Mr. Kanter is a distinguished antitrust lawyer with decades of experience in the public and private sectors. He received his undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Albany and his law degree from Washington University School of Law.

After graduating, he worked as an attorney for the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Competition. He then went on to spend more than 20 years in private practice as an antitrust lawyer. During that time, Mr. Kanter has become a highly influential advocate for strong and meaningful antitrust enforcement, with a special focus on the digital economy.

And he has earned support from across the political spectrum. Nine former heads of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division-- representing every presidential administration going back to Gerald Ford--submitted a letter urging the Senate to quickly confirm Mr. Kanter.

These former leaders of the Antitrust Division wrote: ``Jonathan Kanter has the talent and the leadership skills to do the job well. . . . He knows the substance of antitrust. He appreciates its importance to the American consumer. . . . In short, we believe Mr. Kanter is right for this important position.''

The members of the Senate Judiciary Committee agree. Mr. Kanter was voted out of the committee by voice vote, a testament to his bipartisan support.

With his extensive experience as an antitrust lawyer, deep knowledge of the law, and masterful understanding of the challenges facing antitrust law enforcers, Mr. Kanter would be an outstanding addition to the Justice Department.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting his nomination.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source