Garland Seeks 9% Antitrust Division Funding Boost

A “substantial increase” in funding for DOJ’s Antitrust Division for FY 2022 is necessary to deal with the “skyrocketing” amount of merger filings, Attorney General Merrick Garland told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. DOJ requested a 9% increase in division funding from FY 2021, to $201 million. The department’s 2022 budget request totals about $35.3 billion. The number of division evaluators has decreased, said Garland, calling antitrust a “key focus” for DOJ: “We need help in that regard.” He cited the case against Google’s alleged exclusionary conduct, among other efforts. The number of attorneys in the division is down, and the department “needs an expansion,” he said.