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
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 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
Small business owners Danny Caine and Natasha Amott discuss Small Business Rising, a coalition that is calling on federal policymakers to reign in monopoly power.… Read More
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
Ron Knox explains how consolidation in the music industry, like the pandemic, has been disastrous for artists. The monopolization of three chokepoints in the distribution of music — record labels, streaming, and live venues — is making it impossible for the broad “middle class” of artists to reach listeners.… Read More
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
In the Washington Post, Stacy Mitchell explains why we shouldn’t be surprised that West Virginia and North Dakota’s independent pharmacies are beating the chains in vaccine distribution. The small pharmacies have proved remarkably nimble, while CVS and Walgreens have stumbled. … Read More
In a letter sent to the White House yesterday and released today, 15 independent business associations representing over 60,000 business owners from across the country called on President Biden to appoint Federal Trade Commission (FTC) commissioners and leaders at the Department of Justice (DOJ) who are committed to using the full range of these agencies’ expansive powers, and avoid appointing executives, lobbyists, or lawyers for four Big Tech companies – Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google – to key positions overseeing and enforcing antitrust policy. … Read More
