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Monopoly Round-Up: Congress to Undermine Antitrust Division Budget?

BIG by Matt Stoller • 15241 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Appropriations
  1. There is a proposal to cut $45 million from the Antitrust Division's budget, reducing it by roughly 20%, which could impact their enforcement efforts against monopolies.
  2. The Antitrust Division's funding comes partially from fees paid by corporations involved in mergers, and a recent proposal could subject the Division to the normal appropriations process instead.
  3. The current bill is still subject to modifications, so there is a possibility of adjustments to the proposed budget cut for the Antitrust Division.

February 16, 2026

Letters from an American • 28 implied HN points • 17 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Appropriations
  1. He is actively trying to put his name on public places and products to profit, from trademarking airport names and merch to pushing renamings and even seeking a Mount Rushmore legacy.
  2. His family and businesses have been heavily enriched during his presidency—experts estimate billions in gains and big deals like the UAE crypto investment that raise clear conflicts of interest.
  3. Norms and checks on presidential power have weakened as partisan loyalty to him has grown, enabling withholding or redirection of government funds and other favors that echo warnings about concentrating power.

Shutdown Winnings: Billions in Earmarks for Coke-Driven Moby Dick Theatre, Horse Therapy, “Gay Utopia,” and More

OpenTheBooks Substack • 228 implied HN points • 24 Nov 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Appropriations
  1. Lawmakers kept slipping earmarks into spending bills during the shutdown, with the signed stopgap containing 862 earmarks worth $2.4 billion and roughly $10.7 billion more under consideration.
  2. A large share of the funding goes to local or quirky projects far from core federal duties — things like restoring a giant elephant statue, supporting dance festivals, horse therapy, and youth squash programs.
  3. Earmarks were paused for a decade and are credited with big savings, but their return has rapidly increased spending while transparency and oversight remain weak, prompting concerns about fiscal discipline.

House Omnibus Procedural Notes

Matt’s Five Points • 79 implied HN points • 14 Mar 22
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Appropriations
  1. The omnibus bill was huge, over 2,700 pages, and combined many important financial matters, including aid for Ukraine. This made it easier to pass popular and less popular items together.
  2. To ensure the government stayed open, the House passed a short-term budget extension along with the omnibus, just in case it faced delays in the Senate.
  3. The House used a previous Senate-passed bill to speed up the approval process for the omnibus, avoiding a lengthy debate and making it easier to vote on quickly.

How's your 302(b) looking? Strong...to quite strong

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 27 Mar 12
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Appropriations
  1. The congressional budget process is complicated but important. It involves planning for the next fiscal year's budget, and the President has to submit a budget to Congress each February.
  2. 302(b) allocations divide spending among subcommittees and set limits on how much each can spend. This means subcommittees can't really cut overall spending and instead fight for larger shares of the same budget pie.
  3. Changes in the budget process have shifted responsibility for controlling spending from the Appropriations Committee to the Budget Committee. This has affected how subcommittees operate and strategize for their funding requests.
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