WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, released the statement below after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it would take action to block the proposed merger between the Kroger Company and Albertsons Companies, Inc.

“In late 2022, I held a bipartisan hearing with Senator Lee on the proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger, where we heard concerns that the transaction would reduce competition and consumer choice,” said Klobuchar. “The FTC’s announcement today is an important step toward ensuring there is continued competition in the grocery market.”

In November 2022, Senator Klobuchar and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) held a Subcommittee hearing on Examining the Competitive Impact of the Proposed Kroger-Albertsons Transaction.

As Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, Senator Klobuchar is a leading voice in the Senate on antitrust enforcement and consumer protection.

In December 2022, Klobuchar’s Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act, her bipartisan legislation with Senator Grassley (R-IA) to reform merger filing fees passed Congress as part of the government funding package. The bill would update merger filing fees for the first time since 2001, lowering fees on smaller acquisitions and increasing them for the largest mergers, raising additional revenue that Congress can use to fund antitrust enforcement.  

###