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In a decisive 78-19 vote on Tuesday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Gail Slater as assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division at the Department of Justice, positioning the former FTC staffer and Trump administration economic adviser to take the reins in one of the most high-profile regulatory offices in Washington.

A Powerhouse in Antitrust Policy

Slater, who most recently served as an adviser to Vice President J.D. Vance during his Senate tenure, will now spearhead the DOJ’s antitrust enforcement efforts, inheriting an agency actively litigating landmark cases against Google, Apple, Live Nation/Ticketmaster, and Agri Stats.

The confirmation marks a rare moment of bipartisan unity, with Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, touting Slater’s credentials ahead of the vote.

"In a rare sign of unity in the Judiciary Committee I chair — where we don’t get a lot of unity — Ms. Slater was advanced out of committee by 20 yes-votes to two no-votes," Grassley said on the Senate floor.

Despite broad support, Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, opposed the nomination, citing concerns over DOJ independence and potential political interference.

Slater’s Antitrust Vision: Mergers, Big Tech, and Enforcement Strategy

During her February 12 confirmation hearing, Slater fielded questions from lawmakers about her approach to antitrust enforcement, including how her policies might differ from previous DOJ leadership.

Balancing Tough Enforcement with Pragmatic Settlements

Slater expressed support for strong enforcement against anticompetitive practices but hinted at a shift in strategy regarding merger settlements.

"I expect we may take a different approach than the prior Antitrust Division on settlements in merger cases where effective and robust structural remedies can be implemented without excessively burdening the Antitrust Division’s resources," she noted.

She also committed to working with Congress on implementing the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act, which raised filing fees for larger mergers to increase oversight.

Big Tech Under the Microscope

With the DOJ currently engaged in high-stakes antitrust battles against Google and Apple, Slater was pressed on whether she would aggressively pursue tech giants.

While she noted she was not yet familiar with the specifics of ongoing cases, Slater assured senators she would "read into" all open matters and bring a "deep understanding of technology markets" to her role.