Monopoly Busters Caucus Blasts Trump Administration for Ending Key Partnership with States that Protects Competition in the Agriculture Industry, Lowers Prices for Consumers

WASHINGTON, DC -Today, The Monopoly Busters Caucus, led by Co-Chairs U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (MN-02), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Chris Deluzio (PA-17) and Pat Ryan (NY-18), blasted the Trump Administration for ending a key U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) partnership with bipartisan state attorneys general (AGs) that bolstered competition and tackled anticompetitive market structures in food and agricultural markets that have driven up prices for working Americans.

Through the Agricultural Competition Partnership (ACP), USDA previously provided $15 million in funding, support, and expertise to under-resourced state AG offices to help facilitate partnerships between federal and state law enforcement in order to achieve fairer, more competitive markets and more resilient supply chains. This included a focus on price gouging and addressing market structure problems, barriers to competition, and conflicts of interest.

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, the caucus stressed the importance of the ACP in combatting market consolidation, which has decreased margins for family farmers, producers and small business owners, while increasing prices for consumers. The Members also demanded answers from Secretary Rollins about how USDA plans to promote competition in the food and agriculture industries and supply emergency price relief to American farmers, workers and consumers.

"Ending the partnership with state AGs threatens competition and is contrary to President Trump's stated goals of lowering food prices, helping struggling independent farmers, and promoting national security," the Members wrote.

"Consolidation in the food and agriculture markets is significant and remains a growing problem for farmers and consumers," the Members continued. "In consolidated markets like food and agriculture, dominant firms are able to abuse their market power, cutting costs and underinvesting in workers, supply chains, and key food infrastructure; forcing consumers and small businesses to pay higher prices; and reducing choice and quality in the marketplace. As consolidation has accelerated, hundreds of thousands of independent farms have shuttered, hurting rural communities, limiting production, and hindering food accessibility."

"Although the Trump Administration has claimed it intends to 'deliver emergency price relief' to defeat the 'cost-of-living crisis' and implement 'America First Priorities,' walking away from the ACP with state AGs signals you are abandoning antitrust efforts that could actually address rising food prices for consumers and rising costs for farmers," the Members concluded.

The letter was signed by Reps. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03), Jerry Nadler (NY-10), André Carson (IN-07), Becca Balint (VT-AL) and Greg Casar (TX-35).

You can read the full text of the letter here.

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Issues: Jobs, Labor, & the Economy