Congress needs to pass this amendment to the current antitrust laws.  The public suffers when the U.S. government helps any cartel anywhere in the world, including OPEC.  Write your 2 U. S. Senators and Representatives.  Ask them to sponsor this Act.

An Act to Outlaw U.S. Government Assistance

To Any Cartel Anywhere in the World

Findings:

     1.  It is settled U. S. government policy to outlaw commercial cartels in this country, as expressed in the Sherman Act and other measures.

     2.  Cartels which operate inside and outside the United States can wreak economic damage to America.  They should not be supported in any way by any action of any part of the U. S. government.

     3.  The American public and Congress should be informed regularly as to any activity of the U. S. government which might assist the operations, information gathering, or penalty enforcement of any cartel anywhere in the world.

 Legislation:

     1.  No department, office, commission, agency, corporation, or other entity or agent of the United States government shall assist in any way the operation, information gathering, or penalty enforcement of any cartel in any industry or product anywhere in the world within or without the United States.  This policy includes, but is not limited to, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

     2.  No assistance to any cartel shall be permitted under any treaty obligation, any executive agreement or other agreement, any military occupation activity, any foreign assistance program, or any grant, loan, or loan guarantee program of the U. S. government.

     3.  The policy against cartels anywhere in the world shall be promoted by the U. S. government in all departments, offices, commissions, agencies, corporations, and other entities, agents, vendors, loan recipients, and grantees.

     4.  This policy shall be enforced by the Attorney General as follows:

     A.  The Attorney General shall have access to all records and personnel of all departments, offices, commissions, agencies, corporations, and other entities, agents, vendors, loan recipients, and grantees for the purpose of monitoring any activity to assist or to inhibit any cartel anywhere in the world.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation shall assist in this monitoring.

     B.  The Attorney General shall prepare an annual public report and an annual classified report to Congress on any and all activities of the U. S. government to assist or to inhibit any cartel anywhere in the world, such reports to be delivered within 90 days of enactment of this law and annually on the same day as the first report.

     C.  The Attorney General shall prepare an annual public report and an annual classified report to Congress on any and all activities of the U. S. government to assist or inhibit in any way the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in its operations, information gathering, or penalty enforcement, such report to be delivered within 90 days of enactment of this law and annually on the same day as the first report; and the first report shall include the period of January 1, 2003, to the date of the first report.  The report shall include any assistance that has been and is provided under any treaty obligation, any executive agreement or other agreement, any military occupation activity, any foreign assistance program, or any grant, loan, or loan guarantee program of the U. S. government, including but not limited to the activities of the Department of Defense's Coalition Provisional Authority and the Department of State.