Senate Democrats have called on President Trump to reverse the firing of two FTC commissioners, citing concerns that the move will undermine the agency’s independence and ability to serve the public interest.
A letter signed by over 20 lawmakers, including Senators Amy Klobuchar, Dick Durbin, and Maria Cantwell, claims that the firing of the two commissioners will promote the FTC’s work on antitrust laws and consumer protection enforcement.
“This act contravenes the long-standing Supreme Court precedent, undercuts the constitutional powers of Congress, and creates an independent committee,” the lawmakers wrote, and later, “I strongly recommend that the FTC revoke these dismissals so that they can return to their duties.”
The letter was led by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.). It was signed by more than 20 other Democrats and independent Bernie Sanders (Vt.), who conspired with Democrats.
Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly’s massacre said they were illegally fired on Tuesday. The news has spread concerns about the agency’s independence as Trump moves to expand his control over regulatory bodies.
Democrats and high-tech watchdog groups quickly denounced the decision, while large tech companies that contributed to Trump before his second term praised it.
The FTC handles a variety of antitrust cases against companies, including Meta and Amazon. The agency is an independent body made up of five commissioners, no more than three of whom can come from the same political party.
“Congress established the FTC in 1914 as an independent institution consisting of bipartisan, multi-member, specialized commissioners tasked with protecting consumers,” the senator wrote. “In 2024 alone, the FTC used this authority to return more than $330 million to consumers, while blocking anti-competitive mergers and monopolistic forces that could potentially lead to fewer opportunities for American consumers, workers, and small businesses.”
The precedent discussed in the Senate letter refers to the Supreme Court’s 1935 Humphrey’s Enforcer vs. United States decision, which granted protection against the president’s removal of independent committee members.
The firing letter obtained by Hill reveals that White House officials alleged that Humphrey’s Enforcer did not apply to the committee members and cited Article 2 of the Constitution, which establishes federal administrative bodies.
The administration has claimed that the commissioner’s ongoing services were “inconsistent” with the Trump administration’s policies.
“It’s right to let these people go,” White House spokesman Caroline Leavitt said Wednesday on the hill. “The President will continue to remove federal officials who are not aligned with his common-sense agenda that Americans have decisively supported.”
President Trump has the legal authority to manage personnel within the administrative department.
Bedoya said he plans to sue the Trump administration to end it. Leavitt promised to follow the move in court on Wednesday.
