On January 20, 2026, Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Mike
Rounds wrote the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of
Justice "encourag[ing]" them "to look into potential
discriminatory pricing and product supply practices that harm small
and medium-sized businesses, particularly in the grocery
industry" and "urg[ing]" the DOJ and FTC "to
utilize all federal laws that empower you to bring enforcement
actions against any discriminatory conduct that you may discover in
violation of antitrust law, including the Robinson Patman
Act."
The letter, joined by four Senate colleagues, was remarkable for
the breadth of stakeholders it cited as vulnerable to
discriminatory prices, from small and mid-size businesses to
"ordinary American" consumers to "farmers and
ranchers." It also represents a continuation of a bipartisan
antitrust priority – convenient access to groceries,
pharmacies and other basic consumer staples in urban and rural
areas. Former Commissioner
