WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 27, 2025) — Small Business Rising – a coalition of small business associations — is urging the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prioritize reviving enforcement against monopoly harms to small businesses, instead of focusing efforts toward eliminating regulatory barriers. “The most significant threats to fair markets today stem not from regulation, but from the unchecked dominance of powerful corporations,” the coalition states in a letter submitted to the Commission signed by more than 20 small business associations.
In the letter, small business associations express their support for enforcement actions including: tougher scrutiny of mergers; greater oversight of corporate middlemen; and taking on price discrimination.
The coalition’s advocacy comes on the heels of FTC reversing important enforcement actions supported by this coalition. Most recently, the FTC dismissed the antitrust lawsuit against PepsiCo. for price discrimination by providing a large, big-box retailer with better terms and pricing that smaller competitors could not access. These violations through the Robinson-Patman Act have been identified as a top priority for Small Business Rising coalition partners who applauded the PepsiCo. lawsuit when announced. The National Grocers Association continues to call for RPA enforcement and explain the need in this VIDEO.
The Commission’s backtracking on Robinson-Patman enforcement accompanies the President’s unprecedented firing of the two Democratic commissioners on what’s typically a five-person commission and an independent agency enabled by Congress. “Chairman Ferguson’s characterization of the case as a ‘partisan stunt’ reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the FTC’s bipartisan mandate to promote competition,” explained Co-Executive Director Stacy Mitchell in a statement by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. “Enforcement of RPA has support across party lines.”
She goes on to say: “Notably, the FTC’s 3-0 vote to dismiss occurred without a full bench of commissioners…A fully seated bipartisan Commission ensures the integrity of the Commission’s work. Without it, the agency is left without a voice to shed light on dissenting views and speak to the strength of the case and evidence.”
The small business associations signed on to the letter urge Commission leadership to connect with Main Street businesses through regular direct engagement to fully understand the most pressing competition issues in today’s landscape of operating a small business.