House Democrats Take Issue With Big Mergers

A bill that would direct antitrust agencies to study the impact of mergers marks the first legislative step of the newly-formed House Antitrust Caucus and underscores how cracking down on corporate consolidation is a growing issue for congressional Democrats.

The effort comes in the wake of major mergers, like Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market Inc., that some advocates said would hurt workers and competition.

The legislation, which doesn’t yet have a bill number, was introduced Dec. 4 by seven Democrats. It would require the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice to assess a merger’s effect on price and quality ...