Congressman Mike Johnson Adds Consent Decree Support with Letter to Department of Justice

Mechanicsville, Virginia, December 20, 2019 – The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) wishes to recognize Congressman Mike Johnson (R-LA) for his impactful letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) seeking maintenance of the consent decree found in the case of U.S. v. Association of Casualty and Surety Companies, et al. The letter dated December 19 identifies that the Congressman ”heard from numerous concerned constituents – many of whom are small businessmen and women who support this administration’s policies – who continually express how this consent decree continues to promote competition and remains in the best interest of the American consumer.” The letter urges the DOJ that the Congressman believes “the merits of this particular decree and its continued relevance warrant strong consideration for continuation.”

This letter signifies support from a well-respected Republican member of the House Judiciary Committee, who also serves as Chairman of the Republican Study Committee – a group of over 100 of the most conservative Republicans in the House.

The letter comes exactly one month following a joint bi-partisan letter “expressing support for keeping this important decree in place” from Senate Judiciary Committee members Sen. Kennedy (R-LA) and Sen. Blumenthal (D-CT).

In April 2019, the DOJ announced plans to review nearly 1,300 antitrust judgments enacted without end dates, and in August, the 1963 Consent Decree was identified as one of the actions proposed for termination as part of a much larger de-regulatory initiative by the current administration.

Nearly half those termination orders have been decided upon.

“SCRS has made it a priority to work with the small businesses we represent to create opportunities to communicate directly with those representing them on Capitol Hill,” shared SCRS Chairman Brett Bailey. “The support we are seeing from Members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees is a direct result of clear and thoughtful articulation coming from our industry, and that we do have representatives who listen to those concerns and are willing to act to support them. Cong. Johnson’s efforts on this issue for collision repair business owners are to be commended, especially in consideration of all the pressing issues facing our country at the moment. We are grateful for the Congressman’s support, and believe that this type of leadership will help advantage collision repairer businesses and American consumers by motivating a positive outcome.”

SCRS continues to advocate to other Members of Congress and to the Department of Justice on this issue, in an effort to preserve the Decree and the values it establishes.

SCRS encourages our members to communicate with your federal representatives and express your desire for their support to maintain the Decree on behalf of consumers and small businesses in their states and districts.

For more information about SCRS, or to join as a member, please visit www.scrs.com, call 1-877-841-0660 or email info@scrs.com.

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About SCRS: Through its direct members and 40 affiliate associations, SCRS is comprised of 6,000 collision repair businesses and 58,500 specialized professionals who work with consumers and insurance companies to repair collision-damaged vehicles. Additional information about SCRS including other news releases is available at the SCRS Web site: www.scrs.com. You can e-mail SCRS at the following address: info@scrs.com.