Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) , a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust , Competition Policy , and Consumer Rights , this week addressed independent retailers, wholesalers, and small grocers at the National Grocers Association’s 2026 Fly-In for Fair Competition Event on Capitol Hill. In his remarks, Senator Welch called on Congress to support efforts that ensure grocers get their fair share, including passing the bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act, to combat the Visa-Mastercard duopoly in the credit card market. “The size of monopolistic corporations is one of the biggest challenges our country faces—they’re squeezing out what has been the lifeblood of both competition and local communities. You can’t have a food system without farmers. And you can’t have a neighborhood if you don’t have local grocery stores where folks can have confidence that they can get good, healthy products,” said Senator Welch . “It’s so important that we do everything we can to make certain that small businesses and grocers can continue to thrive in local communities. That’s where Congress comes in, and that’s where accountability comes in.” Photo Credit: National Grocers Association Senator Welch has led efforts to combat market consolidation in the agricultural industry and ensure small grocers, wholesalers, and farmers get a fair shot at success. The bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act would prevent the credit card duopoly of Visa and Mastercard from charging American businesses, including local grocers, higher fees than anywhere else in the world. The Senator is also a cosponsor of the Fair Competition for Small Business Act , which would help protect small businesses from monopolistic, big-box stores that make it difficult for small businesses to succeed. ###