Approximately 70 members of Congress urged federal antitrust authorities this week to block the satellite merger.
Lawmakers signed a letter to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, Attorney General Albert Gonzales and Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras asking that they reject the proposed $13.6 billion merger of Sirius and XM because the marriage “would create a monopoly which would be devastating to consumers.”
The chief authors of the letter are Reps. Gene Green, D-Texas and Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis.
Other lawmakers signing include former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., former broadcaster Greg Walden, R-Wash., House Minority Whip Roy Blount, R-Mo., Louis Slaughter, D-N.Y. and Albert Wynn, D-Md.
Other members of Congress who’ve recently expressed concern about the merger are House Commerce Committee Vice Chair Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., House Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., and House antitrust task force ranking member Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio.
Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis. chairman of the Senate antitrust subcommittee, also opposes the merger.
