Chair Khan Faces Skeptical Appropriators – Controversial Initiatives Imperil Budget Increase

"The FTC with a cavalier attitude is weighing in on areas that are outside its authority and deciding issues on subjective means.... I can't support a massive increase for the Commission's budget, especially given the FTC's recent track record and given the nation's current fiscal outlook." Steve Womack (R-AR)

When a Chairman opens an appropriation hearing with these words, an agency seeking funds has a tough task ahead. Undaunted, FTC Chair Lina Khan turned on the charm and often mollified her critics. Appropriators pressed her about the FTC's proposals to ban non-compete clauses and regulate auto dealers. They complained about reports of scams and fraud on the rise while the FTC pursued subjective notions of competition. In the end, she fared better than all the Commissioners did a week earlier in oversight hearings, but she did not hear an endorsement of her budget request.