Our Federal & State Action

ILSR Comment Letter Raises Concerns about Big Tech’s Expansion into Finance

Katy Milani

December 16, 2021

In a comment letter to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, ILSR raised several areas of concern that the agency should examine as part of its inquiry Into Big Tech payment platforms.READ MORE

ILSR Joins New York Labor Unions, Small Businesses, and Community Organizations to Form New Coalition Calling for Legislation to Combat Corporate Power in NY

Virgil McDill

November 10, 2021

"By establishing clear rules to stop dominant corporations from abusing their power, this legislation will safeguard democracy and create new vitality in struggling rural and urban areas alike," said ILSR's Stacy Mitchell.READ MORE

Statement from Institute for Local Self-Reliance on Antitrust Legislation Unveiled in the U.S. Senate Today

Virgil McDill

October 14, 2021

The following statement was issued by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, in response to legislation released today in the United States Senate aimed at addressing the concentrated corporate power of the Big Tech companies. READ MORE

Statement from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance on Today’s Reintroduction of the Bank Merger Review Modernization Act

Jess Del Fiacco

September 30, 2021

"As community and local financial institutions disappear or merge with larger banks, more entrepreneurs and business owners are struggling to obtain the capital they need to start and grow their businesses," said ILSR's Stacy Mitchell.READ MORE

Statement Regarding D.C. Attorney General Racine’s Amended Antitrust Complaint Against Amazon

Virgil McDill

September 13, 2021

This statement was issued by ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell in response to new amendments to an antitrust complaint filed against Amazon by D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine.READ MORE

Listen: Hardware Group Says Big Tech Bills are an Urgent Opportunity for Small Businesses

Susan Holmberg

August 5, 2021

ILSR's Stacy Mitchell joined Dan Tratensek of the North American Hardware and Paint Association to talk about the momentum in Washington, and at the local level, to level the playing field for small business.READ MORE

Biden’s Executive Order Takes Aim at Monopoly Power on Behalf of Small Businesses, Farmers, and Workers

Ron Knox

July 26, 2021

President Biden signed a sweeping Executive Order aimed at undoing concentrated corporate control and ending decades of consolidation across the economy. The order’s provisions reflect many of ILSR's priorities.READ MORE

Congressional Testimony: How Concentrated Corporate Power Undermines Shared Prosperity

Katy Milani

July 14, 2021

ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell testified before the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee on Wednesday, July 14th. She spoke about how the U.S. has abandoned its antimonopoly policies, which has undermined independent businesses and the vital role they play in our economy and democracy.READ MORE

Statement: Biden Repudiates Decades of Pro-Monopoly Policies and Takes a Major Step Toward Restoring Fair Markets for Small Businesses, Farmers, and Workers

Virgil McDill

July 9, 2021

Biden's executive order marks a major turning point in the fight to check monopoly power. It includes more than 70 specific provisions, many of which reflect ILSR’s long-standing work and priorities.READ MORE

Statement on the House Judiciary Committee’s Vote Approving Legislation to Break Up and Rein In Big Tech

Virgil McDill

June 24, 2021

"There’s no doubt in my mind that American democracy will ultimately prevail over the outsized power of Big Tech," said ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell. "Today’s bipartisan vote was a clear sign of the gathering momentum to break up Amazon and the other tech giants."READ MORE

Sen. Klobuchar Calls for Breakups in Town Hall Co-Hosted by Small Business Rising

Hannah Henderson-Charnow

June 17, 2021

"Unless you force some divestiture of assets, [monopolies are] going to just keep going the way they are... Yes, breakup[s have] to be on the table when it comes to these companies," Senator Klobuchar at a town hall event co-hosted by Small Business Rising.READ MORE

Statement: New Federal Legislation to Rein in Big Tech is a Major Step Forward

Virgil McDill

June 11, 2021

Read ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell's statement in response to today’s release of legislation by the House Judiciary Committee designed to address the outsized power and destructive harms of Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook.READ MORE

New York Bill Moving Through Senate Takes on Monopoly Power

Ron Knox

May 20, 2021

A groundbreaking new bill moving through the New York State Senate this week will, if enacted, greatly enhance the ability of the state and private plaintiffs to take on monopoly power and level the playing field for independent businesses in New York.READ MORE

Senate Briefing Features Communities Impacted by Monopoly Power

Katy Milani

May 12, 2021

Stacy Mitchell participated in a Senate briefing with other leading experts, organizers, and impacted communities to expose the ways monopoly power poses a threat to our democracy, the health of our economy, and our country’s already severe racial disparities.READ MORE

Senate Testimony: Concentration is at the Root of Rural Distress

Katy Milani

April 27, 2021

The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs invited Co-Director Stacy Mitchell to testify at its April 20th hearing on the state of the rural economy. Stacy spoke on why rural America is in crisis and attributed the widening gap between struggling rural towns and coastal supercities to the concentration of corporate and financial power.READ MORE

Small Businesses Rise Up

Mary Timmel

April 20, 2021

Together with more than 20 independent business organizations representing over 60,000 independent businesses across the country, we have officially launched Small Business Rising. It is a coalition of business owners and entrepreneurs from all corners of the country united around a common goal: breaking up monopoly power to safeguard the right of small businesses to compete and serve the needs of their communities.READ MORE

ILSR and Small Business Rising Members Urge Senate to Confirm Lina Khan

Katy Milani

April 15, 2021

ILSR and Small Business Rising coalition members, representing over 130,000 businesses across the country, submitted letters to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation supporting Lina Khan’s nomination to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Both letters urge Chair Cantwell and Ranking Member Wicker to lead the members of the committee in a swift confirmation process. READ MORE

Independent Businesses Launch Coalition to Fight Monopoly Power

Virgil McDill

April 6, 2021

A new coalition of independent businesses is launching today to urge policymakers to rein in monopoly power and level the playing field that has long left them at a competitive disadvantage.READ MORE

Statement from ILSR's Stacy Mitchell on Nomination of Lina Khan to the Federal Trade Commission

Virgil McDill

March 9, 2021

Stacy Mitchell, Co-Director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, issued the following statement in response to the expected nomination of Lina Khan to the Federal Trade Commission. READ MORE

Our Antimonopoly Town Hall Draws Nearly 400 Small Businesses

Katy Milani

February 25, 2021

Nearly 400 people tuned into our lively town hall on February 22nd, which detailed how Amazon’s growing dominance hurts independent businesses and what Congress must do to curb monopoly power. The event featured Congressman David Cicilline, along with leading antitrust experts and small business advocates.READ MORE