Consolidation Prevention and Competition Promotion Act of 2019

This bill amends the Clayton Act to revise merger requirements. Specifically, the bill

• prohibits a merger that materially (currently, substantially) lessens competition in more than a de minimis amount or tends to create a monopsony (a market situation in which there is only one buyer);
• shifts the burden of proof to the merging companies to show that their consolidation will not harm competition;
• requires companies that enter into a settlement agreement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or Department of Justice regarding a merger to report information that allows the agencies to assess the competitive impact of the merger, and
• establishes the Office of the Competition Advocate within the FTC.