Gallego Discusses Lowering Costs, Protecting Arizona Consumers During Meeting with FTC Chair
WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) met with Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan to discuss ways to lower costs and protect Arizona consumers. During the meeting, Rep. Gallego highlighted his work to preserve competition and lower prices on housing, grocery essentials, ticket sales, health care, and more.
“Arizona is booming, but too many families continue to struggle to afford their rent or their weekly trip to the grocery store,” said Rep. Gallego. “Protecting competition, ensuring fair business practices, and looking out for small businesses are critical to lowering costs – and that’s where the FTC comes in. It was great to meet with Chair Khan to discuss how we can make Arizona more competitive and more affordable.”
During today’s meeting, Rep. Gallego discussed his recent actions involving the FTC aimed at cutting costs for everyday Arizonans, including:
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Calling on the Commission to investigate alleged anticompetitive practices by the rent-pricing company RealPage.
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Opposing Kroger Company’s acquisition of Albertsons Companies, Inc. to protect competition, stop potential price increases, and prevent store closures.
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Introducing the Junk Fees Prevention Act to to give the FTC and the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) the tools to crack down on hidden fees in event ticketing, short term and rental lodging, internet service providers, and the airline industry.
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Introducing the Drought Related Overpricing Prevention (DROP) Act, which would direct the FTC to create regulations prohibiting the sale or lease of water rights at an excessive price in drought-stricken areas.
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Encouraging the FTC to take action against market consolidation among Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) in order to lower drug costs.
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Earlier this year, Rep. Gallego introduced a bill to require PBMs to annually report drug prices and other information.
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