On Tuesday March 18, President Donald Trump fired the two
Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Rebecca
Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya, noting that their
"continued service on the F.T.C. is inconsistent with [the
Trump] administration's priorities."
The FTC is made up of five commissioners, with no more than
three being members of the same political party. Typically, three
commissioners come from the President's party, and two from the
opposing party. This norm, however, can now be added to the long
list of norms challenged under the current administration.
What Happens Next
Slaughter and Bedoya plan to challenge the firings. Note that
these dismissals follow earlier firings of members of the National
Labor Relations Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission. In a recent challenge to one of these firings, a
federal district court ruled that the ouster was illegal. The
decision is being appealed.
