A new Executive Order issued recently by President Obama ostensibly requires federal cabinet-level agencies, and encourages independent agencies, to develop steps by the end of June to promote competitive markets. Executive Order 13725, “Steps to Increase Competition and Better Inform Consumers and Workers to Support Continued Growth of the American Economy,” includes proposing new regulations that promote more competitive markets as well as eliminating existing regulations that unnecessarily restrict competition.
In announcing the Executive Order, the White House singled out cable set-top boxes as an example of a consumer good whose prices have risen over the years, and pointed to the President’s support of a pending Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule that will “open up set-top cable boxes to competition.”
Other than this lone example, however, it is unclear what steps, if any, the Executive Branch or independent agencies will recommend and which of those recommendations will be adopted. If anything, the new Executive Order might encourage agencies to issue new regulations.
A copy of Executive Order 13725 is available here.
Members of the Equal Employment Advisory Council (EEAC) can read more here.