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Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is facing new criticism from GOP lawmakers after urging then-President Biden’s Justice Department to block the merger of JetBlue and Spirit Airlines in 2024. Spirit shut down on Friday, stranding thousands of passengers and airline employees.
“The 14,000 employees at Spirit who’ve lost their jobs, the travelers who will now pay higher fares, and the shareholders and debt holders who have been wiped out can thank Elizabeth Warren,” Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) wrote on X on Saturday. “Electing left politicians, who have ZERO business experience, has consequences.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), meanwhile, referred to Warren’s past remarks and advocacy against the merger as “Stunning.”
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Not surprisingly, Warren took to social media to defend her position while somehow finding a way to blame Spirit Airlines’ bankruptcy on President Donald Trump.
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“Spiking fuel prices from Trump’s war was the nail in the coffin for twice-bankrupted Spirit airline. FWIW, JetBlue merger failed because a judge, appointed by Ronald Reagan, said the deal was illegal. Republicans are desperate to shift blame from higher costs hitting families,” she wrote.
In reality, Biden’s Justice Department previously detailed its involvement in blocking the merger a couple of years ago, Just the News reported.
“Our win in court is a victory for U.S. travelers who deserve lower prices and better choices,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We fought this case to protect consumers who, as the court recognized, ‘otherwise would have no voice.’ I am incredibly proud of the Antitrust Division’s team and our state law enforcement partners’ tireless advocacy.”
Warren also pushed Biden’s Transportation Department to block the merger, all of which was detailed in a letter to the agency. She then went on to applaud the blocking of the merger.
“I’ve warned for months that a @JetBlue – @SpiritAirlines merger would have led to fewer flights and higher fares. @JusticeATR and @USDOT were right to stand up for consumers and fight against runaway airline consolidation,” she wrote on X. “This is a Biden win for flyers!”
In late April, Warren wrote on X that the “Big Four airlines (American, Delta, Southwest, United) control 75% of the U.S. market. Fewer choices = higher prices for you.”
In January, Warren had a melt down on the Senate floor and demanded lawmakers vote against funding for ICE.
“This invasion by ICE is not making anyone in America safer. And if we don’t put a stop to it, these masked agents are going to kill more people. We are at a turning point in our country. And what we do next, now, is in front of the United States Senate, in front of my colleagues here today,” Warren declared.
“This week, we are tasked with funding the government, and one part stands out. Last summer, Trump and the Republicans lavished ICE with $75 billion. That is more than their annual budget for seven years. And maybe that is why ICE is handing out $50,000 recruiting bonuses. Now, in this budget, Trump and the Republicans want to reward ICE with an additional $10 billion in funding,” Warren continued.
Warren added, “That’s right, Donald Trump wants us to write another check, hand it over to ICE, and let’s them keep rolling in the dough. But here is my view — I am a no. I am a hell no. We cannot give one more penny to Trump’s ICE while its masked, poorly trained agents terrorize people all across this country. It is time for the United States Senate to step up and stop ICE’s violence. We must stand united, and we must fight back, and we must do it now.”
