The Supreme Court has struck down a federal law that restricts the president’s ability to fire members of the Federal Trade Commission, expanding presidential control over independent federal agencies.
Background of the Case
The case stemmed from former President Trump’s decision to fire FTC member Rebecca Slaughter without cause. Slaughter sued and lower courts ordered her reinstated because the law allows commissioners to be removed only for problems like misconduct or neglect of duty.
The Justice Department argued that the FTC and other executive branch agencies are under the president’s control and the president is free to remove commissioners without cause. Solicitor General D. John Sauer called on the justices to overturn the decision known as Humphrey’s Executor, which has limited when presidents can fire agencies’ board members.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the crux of the issue is that the officials who direct the agencies “are exercising massive power over individual liberty and billion-dollar industries” without being accountable to anyone.
Liberal justices warned that a ruling sought by the administration to overturn the decision known as Humphrey’s Executor would give the president “massive unchecked, uncontrolled power.”
Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
