Press ReleaseBipartisan2026-07-21

Balint, Warren, Banks, and Cline File Bipartisan, Bicameral Resolution Directing the FTC to Investigate Corporate Roll-ups of Firetruck Manufacturers

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This press release from Representative Becca Balint (D-VT) was published on 2026-07-21 and titled "Balint, Warren, Banks, and Cline File Bipartisan, Bicameral Resolution Directing the FTC to Investigate Corporate Roll-u".

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Balint, Warren, Banks, and Cline File Bipartisan, Bicameral Resolution Directing the FTC to Investigate Corporate Roll-ups of Firetruck Manufacturers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Becca Balint (D-Vt.) and Ben Cline (R-Va.), along with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.), filed a bipartisan, bicameral resolution directing the FTC to investigate serial acquisitions of firetruck manufacturers. Following two decades of consolidation by private equity firms and larger manufacturers, a vast majority of the fire truck manufacturing industry is now controlled by just three companies. Since then: Prices have skyrocketed. Fire truck prices have doubled over the last decade, far outpacing inflation for heavy-duty truck manufacturing over that time period. Manufacturers have also exploited their market power to implement “floating” prices, increasing the final price of a fire truck after it goes into production. Manufacturing plants have shuttered. Dominant fire truck manufacturers have restricted supply by closing their own manufacturing facilities, even though demand for fire trucks has increased in recent years. Delivery backlogs are growing. Since 2019, the lead times for fire truck delivery have nearly tripled , and fire departments are now facing delivery delays of up to five years . Working conditions are unsafe. Higher prices and longer delivery times for fire trucks have prevented fire departments from replacing aging trucks, depriving fire fighters of the essential equipment required to work safely and effectively . Rampant consolidation in the fire truck manufacturing industry is undermining public safety, squeezing fire departments’ budgets, and forcing taxpayers to bear the consequences. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes Congress, through a joint resolution passed by the Senate and House of Representatives, to direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate and report the facts relating to any alleged violations of antitrust law. However, Congress has not used this authority to order an FTC investigation since the Great Depression era. This bipartisan joint resolution would revive that authority and direct the FTC to report to Congress within one year on: The extent of anticompetitive practices and violations of antitrust law in the fire truck manufacturing industry, including price fixing, price gouging, serial acquisitions, and monopolization; The monetary and other harms of anticompetitive practices and violations of antitrust law in the fire truck manufacturing industry on fire fighters, fire departments, states, municipalities, and small businesses; and Recommendations for legislation or other remedial actions. “Every community deserves to have the fire trucks it needs to keep people safe. But corporate consolidation has driven up prices considerably and left communities waiting years for this essential, lifesaving equipment,” said Representative Balint. “This is yet another example of why we need strong antitrust enforcement: a handful of powerful companies shouldn't be able to use their power to get richer by making it harder for communities to protect themselves.” “When giant corporations and Wall Street investors buy up all the fire truck manufacturers, it’s a threat to public safety,” said Senator Warren . “There’s a growing, bipartisan consensus that Congress must stop a handful of corporations from dominating fire truck manufacturing and making it harder and tremendously more expensive to get fire trucks.” “Anticompetitive practices are strong-arming our cities, wasting taxpayer dollars, and leaving firefighters without life-saving equipment. I’m proud to join this bipartisan investigation as we fight to put hardworking Indiana taxpayers first,” said Senator Banks . “Too often, growing delivery backlogs in the fire truck manufacturing industry are leaving fire departments across the Commonwealth and our Nation without the necessary equipment first responders need to do their jobs safely and effectively. This bipartisan resolution takes an important first step to restore competition, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and ensure taxpayers and local fire departments receive fair value,” said Representative Cline . This follows a bipartisan investigation led by Senators Warren and Banks into the harms of private equity roll-ups of fire truck manufacturers that they launched in April 2025. Senator Warren also sounded the alarm on private equity’s consolidation of the fire truck manufacturing industry at a September 2025 hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Disaster Management, District of Columbia, and Census. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the American Economic Liberties Project (AELP) have endorsed the resolution. ###

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Balint, Warren, Banks, and Cline File Bipartisan, Bicameral Resolution Directing the FTC to Investigate Corporate Roll-ups of Firetruck Manufacturers WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Becca Balint (D-Vt.) and Ben Cline (R-Va.), along with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.), filed a bipartisan, bicameral resolution directing the FTC to investigate serial acquisitions of firetruck manufacturers. Following two decades of consolidation by private equity firms and larger manufacturers, a vast majority of the fire truck manufacturing industry is now controlled by just three companies. Since then: Prices have skyrocketed. Fire truck prices have doubled over the last decade, far outpacing inflation for heavy-duty truck manufacturing over that time period. Manufacturers have also exploited their market power to implement “floating” prices, increasing the final price of a fire truck after it goes into production. Manufacturing plants have shuttered. Dominant fire truck manufacturers have restricted supply by closing their own manufacturing facilities, even though demand for fire trucks has increased in recent years. Delivery backlogs are growing. Since 2019, the lead times for fire truck delivery have nearly tripled , and fire departments are now facing delivery delays of up to five years . Working conditions are unsafe. Higher prices and longer delivery times for fire trucks have prevented fire departments from replacing aging trucks, depriving fire fighters of the essential equipment required to work safely and effectively . Rampant consolidation in the fire truck manufacturing industry is undermining public safety, squeezing fire departments’ budgets, and forcing taxpayers to bear the consequences. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes Congress, through a joint resolution passed by the Senate and House of Representatives, to direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate and report the facts relating to any alleged violations of antitrust law. However, Congress has not used this authority to order an FTC investigation since the Great Depression era. This bipartisan joint resolution would revive that authority and direct the FTC to report to Congress within one year on: The extent of anticompetitive practices and violations of antitrust law in the fire truck manufacturing industry, including price fixing, price gouging, serial acquisitions, and monopolization; The monetary and other harms of anticompetitive practices and violations of antitrust law in the fire truck manufacturing industry on fire fighters, fire departments, states, municipalities, and small businesses; and Recommendations for legislation or other remedial actions. “Every community deserves to have the fire trucks it needs to keep people safe. But corporate consolidation has driven up prices considerably and left communities waiting years for this essential, lifesaving equipment,” said Representative Balint. “This is yet another example of why we need strong antitrust enforcement: a handful of powerful companies shouldn't be able to use their power to get richer by making it harder for communities to protect themselves.” “When giant corporations and Wall Street investors buy up all the fire truck manufacturers, it’s a threat to public safety,” said Senator Warren . “There’s a growing, bipartisan consensus that Congress must stop a handful of corporations from dominating fire truck manufacturing and making it harder and tremendously more expensive to get fire trucks.” “Anticompetitive practices are strong-arming our cities, wasting taxpayer dollars, and leaving firefighters without life-saving equipment. I’m proud to join this bipartisan investigation as we fight to put hardworking Indiana taxpayers first,” said Senator Banks . “Too often, growing delivery backlogs in the fire truck manufacturing industry are leaving fire departments across the Commonwealth and our Nation without the necessary equipment first responders need to do their jobs safely and effectively. This bipartisan resolution takes an important first step to restore competition, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and ensure taxpayers and local fire departments receive fair value,” said Representative Cline . This follows a bipartisan investigation led by Senators Warren and Banks into the harms of private equity roll-ups of fire truck manufacturers that they launched in April 2025. Senator Warren also sounded the alarm on private equity’s consolidation of the fire truck manufacturing industry at a September 2025 hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Disaster Management, District of Columbia, and Census. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the American Economic Liberties Project (AELP) have endorsed the resolution. ###