Senate Skeptics of Kroger-Albertsons Merger Announce Hearing

Two US senators said they will hold a hearing in November on Kroger Co.’s planned $24.6 billion takeover of Albertsons Cos. that would highlight its impact on competition among grocery stores.

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and Utah Senator Mike Lee, the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Judiciary antitrust panel, expressed “serious concerns about the proposed transaction” in a statement announcing the hearing Tuesday.

Separately, in a joint letter to the US Federal Trade Commission, Klobuchar and two other Senate Democrats also asked the agency to closely scrutinize the deal, saying it “raises considerable antitrust concerns.” ...