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:
More than 20 independent business associations wrote to United States financial regulators and the Department of Justice urging them to block the proposed merger between Capital One and Discover. Small Business Rising coalition partners have identified soaring credit card swipe fees as a key pain point for small businesses, with merchant swipe fees often ranking as the highest business expense after payroll. In addition to urging the Capital One and Discover merger to be blocked, coalition partners have advocated for Congress to pass the bipartisan, bicameral Credit Card Competition Act.
We applaud the Federal Trade Commission for filing suit to end Amazon’s monopolization of the online shopping market. No other company poses as big a threat to independent businesses and the health and dynamism of the U.S. economy. Amazon derives its dominance through classic monopoly tactics, and with this lawsuit, the FTC seeks to break Amazon’s chokehold.
Today small business leaders and advocates joined together for a virtual press event urging support for the Credit Card Competition Act — legislation aimed at injecting competition into the credit card processing industry and addressing the Visa/Mastercard duopoly, which has resulted in skyrocketing swipe fees for independent businesses.
The undersigned Small Business Rising partner organizations released the following statement in response to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) proposed new merger guidelines, including quotes from select partners -- American Booksellers Association, Local First Arizona, Local First La Plata, Running Industry Association and Workplace Solutions Association:
“We applaud the FTC and DOJ for their commitment to robust enforcement of the antitrust laws, particularly against mergers that cut off the ability for small, independent businesses to compete on a level playing field. These new proposed merger guidelines take important steps towards establishing a new era in antitrust where mergers are not given a pass for their theoretical efficiencies, but rather scrutinized for the inherent threats to fairness, broad prosperity, and vibrant local economies. This is a critical step toward fostering fair, open and competitive markets in which independent businesses across the economy can compete and thrive.
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, more than 20 independent business organization members of the Small Business Rising coalition sent a letter to U.S House Judiciary Committee leadership in support of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Chair Lina Khan, who will testify in front of the committee on July 13th, 2023.
Our coalition partners have identified exorbitant credit card interchange fees – also known as swipe fees – as a top issue undermining their small business members, who report that swipe fees are now their highest expense after payroll. This ‘duopoly’ power must be addressed through legislation like the Credit Card Competition Act, which will prevent Visa and MasterCard from forcing merchants to use their card networks to process payments, resulting in significant fee reductions for small businesses.
The American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA) – a bill prohibiting Amazon, Meta, Apple, and Alphabet from preferencing their products over businesses that depend on them to reach customers online – if passed, is a win for America's entrepreneurs and the tens of thousands of small businesses we represent.
Small Businesses Rise to Fight Wall Street — The American Prospect (February 7, 2023)
Small-business group asks Congress to prioritize antitrust bill in lame duck — The Hill (November 15, 2022)
Big Tech ramps up efforts to quash milestone antitrust bill — Reuters (June 1, 2022)
OpEd: Amazon is squeezing Arizona small businesses. Will Congress level the playing field? — AZ Central (April 25, 2022)
Smaller tech firms advocate bipartisan antitrust bills by bashing Big Tech — Washington Examiner (March 31, 2022)
Why Reining in Big Tech Will Help Save Local Businesses — My Hyperlocal News (January 4, 2022)
A New Coalition of Small-Business Groups Is Urging Congress to Break Up Amazon — Inc.com (April 8, 2021)
Yesterday, Small Business Rising members sent a letter to House and Senate leadership urging them to pass the Big Tech bills by the end of the year.
Members of our coalition have long advocated for Congress to address Big Tech’s growing monopoly power, and now is the moment to advance legislation that will safeguard the right for independent businesses to compete and serve the needs of their communities.
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Small Business Rising members sent a letter to Senate leadership urging them to pass the Big Tech bills. The first step is to bring the bills to a vote on the Senate floor, as Senator Schumer has committed to doing throughout this year.
Concentrated market power is the single biggest threat facing independent businesses, and the status quo in our digital markets is untenable. The bipartisan package of bills is proof there is momentum on both sides of the aisle and represents an unprecedented opportunity to level the playfield for our small, independent businesses.
Big Tech lobbyists have claimed to have the support of the small business community even as small business groups and third-party sellers on Amazon advocate for passage of the bipartisan American Innovation and Choice Online Act and the Open App Markets Act. When passed, Congress will be making the online marketplace more competitive by ensuring entrepreneurs and small start-ups can compete, and that small, independent companies selling online are free to choose the best and most affordable services without fear of retribution from the tech giants.
You can read the full letter here.
About Small Business Rising
Small Business Rising, a coalition of more than two dozen organizations representing more than 150,000 independent businesses, was formed this year to urge policymakers to rein in monopoly power and inject fairness into a system that has long left small businesses at a competitive disadvantage.
Amazon – the world’s largest e-commerce corporation – is using its market muscle to stymie competition. As Amazon has grown the number of independent businesses has fallen resulting in an unstable economy where just a few large corporations thwart entrepreneurs and independent business’ ability to compete. In our new Small Business Voices Factsheet we hear directly from independent businesses across the country.
