DOJ Faces $143 Million Cut, Antitrust Division Unharmed

The Department of Justice could receive a $143 million cut in funding as part of a spending package Congress is expected to vote on this week.

But the antitrust division’s funding would remain unchanged from the fiscal 2016 budget, at nearly $165 million. The total amount allotted to the DOJ under the bill is $29 billion.

The flat funding for the antitrust division is good news for industry participants involved in big mergers and antitrust enforcement. Former antitrust officials worried that an already “lean” enforcement division would be forced to eliminate crucial staff if the division’s funding were cut, which ...