October 22, 2026
Mr. Vindman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
To direct the Federal Trade Commission to convene an interagency working group to track and report on market concentration and monopoly activity with respect to certain sectors of the economy, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the American Cost of Living Defense Act
.
Sec. 2. Interagency working group
(a) Establishment and purpose
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Trade Commission shall convene an interagency working group to develop and implement a methodology for tracking and reporting on market concentration and monopoly activity with respect to the covered sectors of the economy.
(b) Composition
The interagency working group convened pursuant to subsection (a) shall include representatives of the following:
(1)
The Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice.
(2)
The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.
(3)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics.
(4)
The Bureau of the Census.
(5)
The Department of Agriculture.
(6)
The Department of Commerce.
(7)
The Department of Health and Human Services.
(8)
The Department of Housing and Urban Development.
(9)
The Department of the Treasury.
(10)
The Department of Transportation.
(11)
The Federal Communications Commission.
(12)
The Federal Trade Commission.
(13)
Any other Federal department or agency the Federal Trade Commission determines appropriate.
(c) Report
(1) Requirement and timing
Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 3 years thereafter, the Federal Trade Commission shall make available to the public in a prominent location on the primary website of the Federal Trade Commission a report that includes information on—
(A)
market concentration and monopoly activity within each of the covered sectors of the economy;
(B)
any corporate or supply chain bottlenecks contributing to consumer price increases with respect to such sectors;
(C)
any platforms or services with respect to such sectors that may be used for pricing coordination or price discrimination;
(D)
the market share of the top 4 firms in each of such sectors, with each such firm specified by name; and
(E)
recommendations for using existing authorities to address market concentration and monopoly activity within such sectors.
(2) Visual data representations for understandability
Each report made available under paragraph (1) shall include visual data representations, including graphs and charts, to ensure the data of such report is accessible to, and easily understandable by, the general public.
(d) Considerations
In carrying out this section, the Federal Trade Commission shall—
(1)
consider utilizing existing data and measures, including relevant data of the Bureau of the Census; and
(2)
work with the Bureau of Labor Statistics to align the covered sectors of the economy with similar categorization used in relation to the Consumer Price Index of the Bureau.
(e) Exemption
Subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Paperwork Reduction Act
), does not apply to any collection of information conducted or sponsored to implement this section.
(f) Covered sectors of the economy defined
The term covered sectors of the economy means each sector of the economy comprised, as determined by the Federal Trade Commission, of a good or service that consumers regularly purchase to sustain basic daily functioning, and which may include, if determined appropriate by the Federal Trade Commission, each of the following sectors:
(1)
Cereals and bakery products.
(2)
Bread.
(3)
Beef.
(4)
Pork.
(5)
Poultry.
(6)
Fish and seafood.
(7)
Eggs.
(8)
Milk.
(9)
Fresh fruit.
(10)
Fresh vegetables.
(11)
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials.
(12)
Coffee.
(13)
Baby food and formula.
(14)
Motor fuel.
(15)
Housekeeping supplies.
(16)
Medical care commodities.
(17)
Prescription drugs.
(18)
Nonprescription drugs.
(19)
Medical supplies and equipment.
(20)
Hair, dental, shaving, and miscellaneous personal care products.
(21)
Rent of primary residence.
(22)
Telecommunications services.
(23)
Consumer financial products.