A group of Democrats in the House and Senate are imploring the country’s top antitrust enforcement cop to implement sweeping new changes to its merger-review protocol, according to a new letter viewed exclusively by MarketWatch.
“The new proposed [form] and associated instructions will facilitate efficient premerger review and ensure effective enforcement of antitrust laws,” wrote the lawmakers, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who votes with Democrats.
“Unchecked consolidation hurts consumers, small businesses, workers, and the economy,” the letter reads. “Consolidation leads to higher prices, less innovation, and reduced quality for consumers. It prevents small businesses from entering markets or competing fairly: for example it is twice as expensive for small businesses to borrow money compared to dominant ones, and there are fewer startups in states where a few companies dominate markets.
Some antitrust experts are skeptical that the proposed changes will hold up in court, if they are implemented as proposed.