WASHINGTON - Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Friday after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals stayed a lower court antitrust ruling that would have forced Qualcomm to end certain patent licensing practices.

“Today’s decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to stay a district court ruling relating to the Federal Trade Commission’s case against Qualcomm highlights yet again the oddity of us having two federal agencies responsible for civil antitrust enforcement,” Sen. Lee said.

“Here, we have the FTC prosecuting the case while her sister agency, the Department of Justice Antitrust Division, has told the Court of Appeals that the district court ruling will harm rather than benefit competition,” Sen. Lee continued. “This kind of dysfunction and confusion illustrates why having two agencies at loggerheads does not make for effective antitrust enforcement.”