With the news of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) lawsuit against large wine and spirits distributor Southern Glazer’s for violating the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA) by using their market dominance to extract lower pricing from wholesalers, Small Business Rising coalition members applaud the reactivation of this important regulatory power for fair markets.
The Small Business Rising coalition and the Institute for Local Self-Reliance released the following statement in response to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division’s lawsuit against Visa for illegally punishing or threatening to punish merchants with higher fees if they try to use competing services to process debit card payments.
More than a dozen independent business associations representing thousands of Main Street businesses have urged the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to revive Robinson-Patman Act enforcement. READ FULL LETTER.
“The undersigned organizations representing thousands of small businesses across our country write urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to use long-dormant regulatory powers to address predatory buying practices from dominant corporations by enforcing the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA). The responsibility to ensure fairness in our markets for both consumers and small businesses is vital for a functioning democracy. And we’re running out of time.
Washington, DC – Today, the New York State Assembly and Senate took important steps to level the playing field for small businesses by advancing the 21st Century Antitrust Act. The bill would usher in much needed reforms to the state’s existing antitrust laws and would place New York at the forefront of a movement to rein in corporate power and create a fair, open marketplace for independent businesses.
10+ independent business organizations and small business advocates endorsed the bill, including:
Natasha Amott, member of Small Business Rising and owner of Whisk, a kitchen store in Brooklyn, wrote the following op-ed in the New York Daily News. Amott calls on New York state legislators to support the 21st Century Antitrust Act, which would strengthen the state’s antimonopoly enforcement and help create a level playing field for small businesses.
Last year, Liberation in a Generation released a report titled “Antimonopoly Activism: Reclaiming Power through Racial Justice”, focusing on how corporate concentration impacts people of color and how racial justice is a key component in antitrust reform. Small Business Rising founding member ILSR highlighted a conversation with LibGen co-founders and co-executive directors , Jeremie Greer and Solana Rice, on working to dismantle the current oppression economy.
Jeremie Greer states that “The way to address all of this is that we have to put more political power in the hands of people of color so they can influence the governmental structures.”
Listen to the Building Local Power Miniseries Episode below:
Today, the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Sen. Chuck Grassley, with 12 bipartisan co-sponsors, passed out of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary by a vote of 16-6.
In response, Small Business Rising released the following statement:
“We applaud the Committee for voting to send this crucial legislation to the full Senate, and we commend Senators Klobuchar and Grassley, and their bipartisan coalition of co-sponsors, for introducing this bill and fighting for it.
“We believe this legislation, aimed at eliminating the dangerous self-preferencing and discrimination of the Big Tech monopolies, is a critical first step in reining in their outsized power.
“Concentrated market power is the single biggest threat facing independent, small businesses. America’s small businesses are the backbone of our local economies and our local communities — and, yet, every day we lose more independent businesses because of the abusive and anti-competitive tactics of monopolistic corporations like Amazon.
“We look forward to working with the bill’s co-sponsors, and the rest of the Senate, to further strengthen this landmark legislation and ensure its passage. And we look forward to working with lawmakers in the Senate to introduce and enact additional measures, including structural separation legislation, to remove the underlying conflicts of interest that give rise to the tech giants’ anti-competitive behavior in the first place.”
Who We Are: Small Business Rising is a coalition of nearly 30 small business organizations representing over 150,000 independent businesses. The coalition formed in 2021 to advance anti-monopoly policies and safeguard the ability of small businesses to compete and serve the needs of their communities.
This holiday season, small businesses and their customers are urging Congress to support Main Street by reining in the outsized power of Big Tech.
Through in-store posters and flyers, and on social media, businesses are inviting their customers to contact their member of Congress and join the campaign for a level playing field.
Help spread the message:
The sweeping reforms would simplify and strengthen New York’s antimonopoly laws, and would expand what kinds of harmful conduct the law can address. Among other measures, the Twenty-First Century Antitrust Act would:
Lead to clear, bright-line rules prohibiting abusive and anti-competitive tactics by dominant corporations
Place New York at the cutting edge of combating monopolies and curbing corporate power by fundamentally redefining what constitutes dominance by a single firm
Allow lawsuits against corporations that act unilaterally to stifle competition — an expansion of current law which defines anticompetitive conduct as occurring only when two or more companies are collaborating or conspiring to restrain competition
***Statement***
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Virgil McDill, vmcdill@ilsr.org, 202.294.9187
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 5, 2021) - Statement from Small Business Rising on the introduction of the Platform Competition and Opportunity Act of 2021, legislation that would set a high bar for acquisitions and mergers by Big Tech firms.
“We applaud the leadership of Senator Amy Klobuchar and Senator Tom Cotton on this legislation which will help to restore vitality to our digital markets and level the playing field.
“Right now, Big Tech’s stranglehold is killing America’s small, independent businesses. Anti-competitive mergers are one of the key ways that Amazon, Facebook, and Google have gained control over our digital markets and used that power to exploit small businesses through predatory terms and outrageous fees.
“America’s independent businesses and entrepreneurs cannot succeed in a world where the tech giants are allowed to remain all-powerful gatekeepers. Along with structural separation and nondiscrimination legislation, this bill is a key legislative step to ensure that independent businesses have a chance to compete and thrive.
“Our coalition, representing more than 150,000 independent businesses, urges Congress to move swiftly to restore competition, innovation, and fairness into our digital markets by passing the Platform Competition and Opportunity Act of 2021 and other anti-monopoly measures.”
About Small Business Rising
Small Business Rising is a coalition of over twenty national and local associations representing over 150,000 small and independent businesses from all corners of the country, united around the goals of reining in monopoly power and urging policymakers to build an economy that is more prosperous, equitable, and innovative.
Gina Schaefer, owner of 13 ACE Hardware Stores in the DC area, and David Guernsey, CEO and Founder of Guernsey Incorporated, share why they believe it’s time for legislators to take action and rein in the power of Big Tech — before it’s too late.
Watch the videos:
***Statement***
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Virgil McDill, vmcdill@ilsr.org, 202.294.9187
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 14, 2021) - The following statement was issued today by Small Business Rising, a coalition of over twenty national and local associations representing over 150,000 small and independent businesses, in response to legislation released today in the United States Senate aimed at addressing the concentrated corporate power of the Big Tech companies.
“We applaud Senator Klobuchar’s leadership on antitrust issues and her focus on the ways America’s monopoly problem negatively affects small businesses across the country. The legislation released today by Senator Klobuchar and Senator Grassley, along with a bipartisan group of co-sponsors, will move this conversation forward and ensure that Washington’s recent focus on antitrust issues continues.
“Concentrated market power remains the single biggest threat facing independent, small businesses. America’s small businesses are the backbone of our local economies and our local communities — and, yet, every day we lose more independent businesses because of the abusive and anti-competitive tactics of monopolistic corporations like Amazon.
“We look forward to working with Senator Klobuchar and Senator Grassley to strengthen key parts of this legislation, and ensure the Senate adopts structural separation legislation, along the lines that passed in the House Judiciary Committee, to remove the underlying conflicts of interest and incentives that give rise to their anti-competitive behavior in the first place.”
Comment from Douglas Mrdeza
CEO and Founder, Top Shelf Brands, and member of Small Business Rising
“As a third-party seller on Amazon’s platform, I experienced the hardship and pain that comes when Amazon engages in anticompetitive practices, from stealing trade secrets to engaging in predatory pricing. After experiencing these tactics first-hand, I’m convinced that structural separation must be part of any legislative solution aimed at Amazon. The company’s ‘blending’ of its various lines of business lies at the root of all the problems small businesses have with Amazon, and only breaking these businesses apart and making them stand and compete on their own will address the problem.
“As I saw first-hand, Amazon presents itself as a partner, but in reality, it’s a competitor that steals proprietary information and uses it to put third-party sellers out of business. This bipartisan Senate legislation is a welcome first step. Our Small Business Rising coalition looks forward to working with the Judiciary Committee on the legislation we need to ensure small businesses are allowed to compete online.”
About Small Business Rising
Small Business Rising is a coalition of over twenty national and local associations representing over 150,000 small and independent businesses from all corners of the country, united around the goals of reining in monopoly power and urging policymakers to build an economy that is more prosperous, equitable, and innovative.
Independent Business Groups Urge Swift Confirmation for Jonathan Kanter to the DOJ Antitrust Division
October 5, 2021
Small businesses need strong leaders at the DOJ — stand up to #BigTech.
Small Business Rising coalition partners, representing over 150,000 businesses across the country, submitted a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary expressing strong support of Jonathan Kanter’s nomination as Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division at the Department of Justice (DOJ). The letter urges Chair Durbin and Ranking Member Grassley to lead a swift confirmation process through the Judiciary Committee.
Mr. Kanter is an obvious choice to lead the DOJ’s Antitrust Division. His deep legal experience and longstanding record advocating for aggressive action make him an excellent choice to work alongside Lina Khan at the Federal Trade Commission to rein in corporations wielding monopoly power over their smaller competitors. Concentrated market power is the biggest threat facing independent businesses, which has taken a particular toll on businesses in rural communities and businesses owned by Black, Indigenous, people of color and women. With Jonathan Kanter at the DOJ, it will be a new day to restore enforcement of our country’s antitrust laws and fair competition for independent and small businesses.
Read the full letter here.
