Klobuchar Introduces Antitrust Transparency Act
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- Amy Klobuchar introduced the Antitrust Accountability and Transparency Act to strengthen review of antitrust settlements and protect consumers, workers, and small businesses.
- The bill expands the Tunney Act review to the Federal Trade Commission, requiring FTC involvement in settlement scrutiny.
- The legislation mandates disclosure of the government’s settlement rationale, prior offers, side‑deals, and all related communications.
- The act creates a hold‑separate provision of up to 90 days after a settlement to allow court review and public comment before any merger proceeds.
- The bill empowers state attorneys general to intervene in Tunney Act hearings as a matter of right and to step into federal cases if the government voluntarily dismisses them.
- Jonathan Kanter and other former antitrust officials praised the proposals for giving courts authority to do more than rubber‑stamp settlements.
- The DOJ settlement with Live Nation includes structural changes to ticketing deals, ending exclusive arrangements at 13 amphitheaters and allowing venues to use multiple vendors.
Why it matters: The legislation gives courts and state attorneys general real teeth to vet antitrust settlements, meaning consumers, workers and small businesses can expect more transparent, enforceable remedies, while the Justice Department and merging companies lose the ability to close deals with only a rubber‑stamp review.
