The White House announced that President Biden will launch a strike force to prosecute companies that illegally increase the prices of prescription drugs, food, housing and groceries.
The White House said in a briefing note:
President Biden will launch a new Strike Force to crack down on unfair and illegal pricing. President Biden is committed to ensuring that companies are held accountable when they try to steal from Americans, even when they break the law by keeping prices high.
To that end, the President is establishing a new Strike Force on Unfair and Illegal Pricing, co-chaired by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This Strike Force will strengthen interagency efforts to root out and stop illegal corporate behavior that raises prices on American families through anticompetitive, unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent business practices. The DOJ and FTC, along with other Strike Force agencies, will focus their collaborative efforts on key areas where companies may be violating the law and keeping prices high, including prescription drugs and health care, food and groceries, housing, financial services and more.
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The pandemic is over, but companies continue to keep prices high and reap record profits. Biden called on companies to stop this behavior. They refused to listen, so now he will step up criminal law enforcement.
The White House’s latest action is an example of why who the president is matters.
A Republican president would not address corporate greed, but when Donald Trump was president he encouraged it. Presidents have the power to help people in big and small ways, and how they choose to use or not use that power can impact millions of lives.
People shouldn’t lump Biden and Trump together.
They are not the same thing.
Biden, whether you agree with him or not, seeks to work for the American people. Trump sees the presidency as a vehicle for himself.
It was a key contrast between the candidates in 2020, and it remains even starker in 2024.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a member of the White House press pool and a congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a bachelor’s degree in political science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
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