WASHINGTON — Two influential progressive lawmakers are raising concerns about what they say is excessive corporate influence at the Commerce Department, escalating a clash between the left wing of the Democratic Party and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Washington State Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, sent a letter to Raimondo on Wednesday, criticizing what they described as a preponderance of former technology industry lobbyists who are helping to shape digital policy at the Commerce Department.
“The abundance of Big Tech alumni within the department raises concerns that the needs of consumers, workers, and small businesses are ignored in favor of Big Tech’s profits and priorities,” Warren and Jayapal wrote in the letter.
