{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/fetterman-backs-effort-to-rein-in-corporate-greed-and-cut-costs-for-pennsylvania-families/", "Fetterman Backs Effort to Rein in Corporate Greed and Cut Costs for Pennsylvania Families", "2025-07-21", "2025", "2025-07", "Democrat", "Senate", "PA", "John Fetterman", "F000479", "www.fetterman.senate.gov", "fetterman", "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-release/", "scraper", "Text of Bill (PDF) | Bill One-Pager (PDF)\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Last week, U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) co-sponsored the Price Gouging Prevention Act, a bill that helps the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general stop big corporations from using high prices to pass tariffs onto consumers. Senator Fetterman previously co-sponsored this legislation when it was introduced in the 118th Congress.\n\nPennsylvanians know that the prices they are seeing throughout the Commonwealth are both unreasonable and unjustifiable. The last five years have repeatedly shown us that giant corporations will take advantage of inflation and supply chain disruptions to expand their profit margins by raising prices higher than necessary to cover cost increases. President Trump\u2019s on-again, off-again tariffs have created yet another opportunity for corporate price gouging.\n\n\u201cTrump\u2019s chaotic tariff policies handed large companies a free pass to jack up prices on the goods and services we rely on every day. As a result, hard-working Americans are being forced to take a smaller slice of the pie while corporate executives line their pockets,\u201d said Senator Fetterman. \u201cThe Price Gouging Prevention Act gives regulators the teeth to shut this down. It forces big companies to be honest about why they\u2019re raising prices, and it\u2019ll bring relief at the grocery store and the pump to families across the Commonwealth.\u201d\n\nThe legislation was led by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), along with Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-9) and Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17).\n\n\u201cDonald Trump\u2019s reckless tariff policies are giving companies cover to squeeze families and raise prices more than necessary. My bill is an opportunity for Congress to stand up for families by cracking down on price gouging and fighting back against corporate abuse,\u201d said Senator Warren.\n\n\u201cThe biggest corporations in our country jack up the cost of everyday household items, take in record profits, and give their executives huge bonuses \u2013 all on the backs of hard-working Wisconsin families. Donald Trump claimed he would lower prices \u2013 so far, he has done just the opposite and is even opening the door to more price gouging. But, if we pass this bill, we can rein that in and give Wisconsinites some breathing room and allow them to save for the future,\u201d said Senator Baldwin. \u201cOur bill will finally crack down on corporate greed and help stop those big companies at the top of the food chain from sticking families with exorbitant costs.\u201d\n\n\u201cPrices are still too high, and inflation is still pounding folks. Especially now, we need to rein in monopolists and other huge corporations with the power to price gouge the American people,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cBy upping FTC enforcement practices and boosting transparency, this bill will take some of the squeeze off American families and small businesses suffering under the thumb of out-of-control corporate power.\u201d\n\n\u201cPresident Donald Trump promised to lower costs, but we have seen the exact opposite. Greedy corporations are using the economic turmoil the Trump Administration has created to gouge the American people on everything from groceries to consumer goods. While these large corporations rake in record profits, families in my community and across the country are struggling to put food on the table,\u201d said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. \u201cOur bill will finally put an end to price gouging by empowering the FTC and state attorneys general to hold bad actors accountable when they take advantage of consumers.\u201d\n\nThe Price Gouging Prevention Act of 2025 would:\n\nProhibit price gouging at the federal level\u2014anytime and anywhere. The bill would clarify that price gouging is an unfair and deceptive practice under the FTC Act. It would allow the FTC and state attorneys general to stop sellers from charging a grossly excessive price, regardless of where the price gouging occurs in a supply chain or distribution network;\n\nHelp enforcers establish when price gouging is occurring during a significant shift in trade policy. The bill lists a set of exceptional market shocks\u2014including an \u201cabrupt or significant shift in trade policy\u201d\u2014and outlines a standard for a presumptive violation of the price gouging prohibition during such a shock, such as when companies brag about increasing prices;\n\nCreate an affirmative defense for small businesses acting in good faith. Small and local businesses sometimes must raise prices in response to crisis-driven increases in their costs because they have little negotiating power with their price-gouging suppliers. This affirmative defense protects small businesses earning less than $100 million from frivolous litigation if they show legitimate cost increases;\n\nRequire public companies to clearly disclose costs and pricing strategies. During periods of exceptional market shock, the bill requires public companies to transparently disclose and explain changes in their cost of goods sold, gross margins, and pricing strategies in their quarterly SEC filings; and\n\nProvide $1 billion in additional funding to the FTC to carry out its work.\n\nIn addition to Senator Fetterman (D-PA), The Price Gouging Prevention Act of 2025 is co-sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).\n\nThe legislation is co-sponsored in the House by Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN-2), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH-2), Hank Johnson (D-GA-4), Ro Khanna (D-CA-17), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Jerry Nadler (D-NY-12), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), and Paul Tonko (D-NY-20).\n\n\u201cConsumers deserve and desperately need stronger protection against price gouging and unfair profiteering that this legislation will provide. As state Attorney in Connecticut, I saw firsthand how corporate greed leads wrongdoers to exploit loopholes in present law. American consumers should be safeguarded more effectively by imposing accountability and transparency,\u201d said Senator Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cNo one should be allowed to pad their pockets by price gouging hardworking Americans,\u201d said Senator Kim. \u201cAt a moment when more and more people are feeling like they can\u2019t afford the American dream, this bill is an important tool to stand up for working families, lower costs, and build an economy that looks after all Americans, not just the wealthiest few.\u201d\n\n\u201cBig corporations are making big profits, and some are cynically using Trump\u2019s tariffs and trade threats to justify price increases on hard working people,\u201d said Senator Markey. \u201cWhile Republicans shower big corporations with lavish tax breaks, Senator Warren and Senator Baldwin are leading the fight to stand up for working people. I am proud to stand with my colleagues to co-sponsor the Price Gouging Prevention Act and end predatory profiteering.\u201d\n\n\u201cFrom outrageous prices for prescription medications, to the costs of groceries skyrocketing, it\u2019s working families footing the bill while huge corporations gouge consumers to line their own pockets,\u201d said Senator Merkley. \u201cAmericans deserve basic consumer protections from this harmful practice, and we need the Price Gouging Prevention Act to put people over profits.\u201d\n\n\u201cMichiganders know their pocketbooks. They know when they are getting taken for a ride. The cost of living is too high in America, and it is keeping hard-working people out of the middle class,\u201d said Senator Slotkin. \u201cOne way to attack that problem is to crack down on price gouging from the largest, multi-national corporations, who too often use a crisis or supply chain disruption to further squeeze Americans and raise prices. This bill strengthens the tools in our toolkit to go after bad-faith actors and protect the middle class.\u201d\n\n\u201cCorporate bad actors are using Trump\u2019s tariff chaos as an excuse to hike prices far beyond their own cost increases to make even more money at the expense of hardworking Americans,\u201d said Senator Whitehouse. \u201cOur legislation will crack down on price gouging and lower costs for families.\u201d\n\nThis bill is endorsed by the following labor groups and organizations: AFL-CIO, UAW, USW, Accountable.US/Accountable.NOW, American Economic Liberties Project, Consumer Federation of America, Economic Security Project Action, Farm Action Fund, Food & Water Watch, Groundwork Collaborative, National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients), P Street, and Public Citizen.\n\n\u201cAmerica\u2019s working families are tired of giant corporations jacking up prices and taking a bigger and bigger slice of their paychecks just to pad their record-breaking profits. The Price Gouging Prevention Act is important legislation to crack down on this corporate greed, put some common-sense fairness back in our economy, and rein in the basic costs that are making it hard for working families to make ends meet,\u201d said Liz Shuler, President of the AFL-CIO.\n\n\u201cWorking families must never be squeezed by corporations using crises as cover to raise prices. The Price Gouging Prevention Act is a long-overdue check on corporate abuse, holding companies accountable and putting power back in the hands of consumers and workers. We\u2019re proud to support it,\u201d said David McCall, President of the United Steelworkers.\n\n\u201cThe Trump administration has shown time and again it is on the side of the giant corporations squeezing profits from American families. While the President fans the flames on higher prices and fewer protections, the Price Gouging Prevention Act tackles corporate greed head on. It\u2019s more important than ever that Congress take the initiative to defend American families from abusive price hikes in the marketplace,\u201d said Caroline Ciccone, President of Accountable.US/Accountable.NOW.\n\n\u201cCracking down on price gouging at the federal level is both commonsense and long overdue,\u201d said Morgan Harper, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the American Economic Liberties Project. \u201cFrom natural disasters to Trump\u2019s tumultuous trade policy, big corporations are weaponizing chaos to pad their bottom line at the expense of hardworking Americans. Just like the laws many states across the country already have in place, Senator Warren\u2019s price-gouging legislation prohibits opportunistic price increases now and during future crises to protect families and small businesses.\u201d\n\n\u201cNow, more than ever, we need to crack down on predatory corporations that weaponize economic turmoil by price-gouging hardworking Americans and lining their pockets with obscene profits. Congress should immediately pass the Price Gouging Prevention Act and give state and federal law enforcement agencies full power to stop corporations from preying on American families through this shameless profiteering,\u201d said Erin Witte, Director of Consumer Protection for Consumer Federation of America.\n\n\u201cMore and more families are feeling the sting of our affordability crisis, and price gouging is a major cause. Price gouging puts basic needs like groceries, rent, and medications increasingly out of reach for millions just to line the pockets of corporate shareholders. The Price Gouging Prevention Act is a huge step towards ending this practice by holding corporate price gougers accountable,\u201d said Adam Ruben, Director of Economic Security Project Action.\n\n\u201cFor too long, corporate giants have used market disruptions as an excuse to gouge farmers and consumers, with little fear of consequences. We exposed abusive pricing schemes in the fertilizer, beef, and egg industries in recent years, yet the FTC has been hamstrung in its ability to take action. The legislation introduced by Senator Warren and her colleagues would enable antitrust enforcers to hold these corrupt corporations accountable, restoring fairness to our markets and bringing justice to America\u2019s farmers and consumers,\u201d said Joe Maxwell, President of Farm Action Fund.\n\n\u201cWhile everyday Americans are struggling to make ends meet, corporations continue to hike up prices and rake in record profits. The president\u2019s chaotic trade policy has created the perfect environment for companies to raise prices on consumers well beyond the rate of inflation. Senator Warren\u2019s legislation puts working families first by cracking down on these price gougers and ensuring consumers pay a fair price,\u201d said Lindsay Owens, Executive Director of Groundwork Collaborative.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:48:13Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/fetterman-backs-effort-to-rein-in-corporate-greed-and-cut-costs-for-pennsylvania-families/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4969168696552515, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}