Rep. Derek Schmidt's Main Street Competes Act Passes Out of Small Business Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the Main Street Competes Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Representatives Derek Schmidt (R-KS-02) and Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03), passed unanimously out of the House Small Business Committee (SBC). The legislation would help protect small businesses from unfair competition by requiring the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to work with the Small Business Administration to submit an annual report to Congress on the impact of anti-trust laws, the agencies’ ability to assist small businesses, and relevant policy recommendations. 

“Small businesses are the backbone of Kansas communities and our economy, and they deserve a fair opportunity to compete and grow,” said Congressman Derek Schmidt. “This bipartisan legislation will help ensure federal agencies are paying attention to how antitrust laws impact Main Street businesses, not just the largest corporations. Greater transparency and accountability will help protect competition, strengthen entrepreneurship, and support the small businesses that create jobs across Kansas and the country.” 

“Helping small businesses thrive in the modern economy is exactly the kind of thing I came to Congress to do,” said Congresswoman Scholten. “There’s currently a major gap in our federal laws that make it easier for larger businesses and corporations to evade accountability for illegal activity. Our Main Street Competes Act would fix that and strengthen federal agencies’ muscle to protect small businesses from unfair competition.” 

"Thousands of independent sellers, from mom-and-pop shops to multimillion-dollar businesses, have made e-commerce one of the fastest growing, most dynamic sectors of the American economy. However, when major platforms misuse their power over sellers, they can stifle this dynamism and harm both sellers and consumers," said Amanda Lewis, Co-Founder and Director of U.S. Competition Policy at the Responsible Online Commerce Coalition. "By empowering the Small Business Administration to address anticompetitive conduct, these sellers get another strong cop on the beat to take on monopoly power and ensure a fair and robust online marketplace where sellers of all sizes have an opportunity to grow and thrive."

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