The Senate Appropriations Committee passed its Fiscal Year 2025 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) funding bill yesterday. The bill includes significant funding for the Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division and reinstates a key component of the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act (MFFMA) that had been rescinded in the Fiscal Year 2024 funding bill.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) has been advocating for adequate resources for the DOJ Antitrust Division to ensure fair and competitive markets in agriculture and across the American economy.

NFU President Rob Larew expressed his support for the legislation: “We commend Chair Jeanne Shaheen and Ranking Member Jerry Moran for moving forward legislation that fully reinstates the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act and provides strong funding for the DOJ Antitrust Division. Corporate monopolies have been squeezing family farmers, ranchers, and our communities for decades, and we need a strong DOJ Antitrust Division that can fully enforce our nation’s competition laws. NFU looks forward to continuing to work with the Senate Appropriations Committee to empower the Antitrust Division to take on rampant monopoly power in agriculture and throughout our economy.”

The FY25 House CJS Appropriations bill proposes cuts to funding for the DOJ Antitrust Division and does not restore the MFFMA. In contrast, the bipartisan FY25 Senate CJS Appropriations bill increases funding for the division and restores MFFMA to its original purpose. NFU continues to advocate for Congress to adopt the Senate’s approach, fully fund the DOJ Antitrust Division, and restore MFFMA.

In recent years, staffing levels at the DOJ’s Antitrust Division have fallen below those of 1979. Funding has not kept pace with increasing corporate consolidation, which negatively impacts family farmers, ranchers, and their communities. Under the Biden-Harris Administration and Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter's leadership, the DOJ Antitrust Division is actively promoting fair markets across various sectors of the American economy, including agriculture. The rescission of MFFMA and inadequate funding would undermine these efforts.

NFU’s Fairness for Farmers campaign has highlighted how monopolies adversely affect family agriculture nationwide. More information is available at www.fairnessforfarmers.org.