{"id":24259,"date":"2026-05-10T15:59:58","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T19:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/georgetown-law-journal\/?page_id=24259"},"modified":"2026-05-10T16:01:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T20:01:52","slug":"strengthening-the-federal-trade-commission-a-lesson-from-the-labor-board","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/georgetown-law-journal\/in-print\/volume-114\/volume-114-issue-3-february-2026\/strengthening-the-federal-trade-commission-a-lesson-from-the-labor-board\/","title":{"rendered":"Strengthening the Federal Trade Commission: A Lesson from the Labor Board"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><em>The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is facing significant challenges to its structure and the scope of its power. In March 2025, President Trump removed two Democratic-appointed FTC Commissioners from office without cause,\n\t\t<span class='js-footnote footnote'>\n\t\t\t<button type='button' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_24259_1' class='footnote_inline_btn js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-describedby='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_24259_1'>\n\t\t\t\t<sup class='footnote_inline_btn_number'>1<\/sup>\n\t\t\t\t<span id='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_24259_1' class='visually_hide'>Open footnote #1<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t<cite id='abstract_footnote_24259_1' class='footnote_content_cite js-footnote-content'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_content_number js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_24259_1' tabindex='-1'>1<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap_inner'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='visually_hide'>Footnote #1 content: <\/span><i>See <\/i>David McCabe &amp; Cecilia Kang, <i>Trump Fires Democrats on Federal Trade Commission<\/i>, N.Y. TIMES (Mar. 18, 2025), https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/18\/technology\/trump-ftc-fires-democrats.html; <i>see also <\/i>David McCabe, <i>Court Rules Trump\u2019s Firing of F.T.C. Commissioner Was <\/i><i>Illegal<\/i>, N.Y. TIMES (July 18, 2025), https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/07\/17\/technology\/judge-trump-ftc-commissioner.html (describing Judge AliKhan\u2019s ruling in <i>Slaughter v. Trump<\/i>, which found that President Trump\u2019s dismissal of Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter was unlawful under current precedent); Slaughter v. Trump, 791 F. Supp. 3d 1, 6 (D.D.C. 2025).\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_close_btn_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_close_btn js-footnote-close-btn' aria-label='Back to content'>close<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/cite>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t<span class=\"s1\">\u00a0<\/span>and the Supreme Court upheld these removals on a temporary basis in <\/em>Trump v. Slaughter<em>,\n\t\t<span class='js-footnote footnote'>\n\t\t\t<button type='button' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_24259_2' class='footnote_inline_btn js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-describedby='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_24259_2'>\n\t\t\t\t<sup class='footnote_inline_btn_number'>2<\/sup>\n\t\t\t\t<span id='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_24259_2' class='visually_hide'>Open footnote #2<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t<cite id='abstract_footnote_24259_2' class='footnote_content_cite js-footnote-content'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_content_number js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_24259_2' tabindex='-1'>2<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap_inner'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='visually_hide'>Footnote #2 content: <\/span><i>See <\/i>Trump v. Slaughter, No. 25A264, 2025 WL 2692050 (U.S. Sep. 22, 2025) (granting a stay of a district court order that had reinstated Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, and granting a writ of certiorari before judgment to decide whether <i>Humphrey\u2019s Executor v. United States<\/i>, 295 U.S. 602 (1935), should be overruled); <i>see also <\/i>Seila Law LLC v. CFPB, 591 U.S. 197, 251 (2020) (Thomas, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part) (\u201c[I]n the future, we should reconsider <i>Humphrey\u2019s Executor in toto<\/i>. And I hope that we will have the will to do so.\u201d).\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_close_btn_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_close_btn js-footnote-close-btn' aria-label='Back to content'>close<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/cite>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t which all but overturned the ninety-year precedent that had insulated FTC Commissioners from at-will removal by the President.\n\t\t<span class='js-footnote footnote'>\n\t\t\t<button type='button' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_24259_3' class='footnote_inline_btn js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-describedby='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_24259_3'>\n\t\t\t\t<sup class='footnote_inline_btn_number'>3<\/sup>\n\t\t\t\t<span id='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_24259_3' class='visually_hide'>Open footnote #3<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t<cite id='abstract_footnote_24259_3' class='footnote_content_cite js-footnote-content'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_content_number js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_24259_3' tabindex='-1'>3<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap_inner'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='visually_hide'>Footnote #3 content: <\/span><i>See <\/i>Humphrey\u2019s Ex\u2019r, 295 U.S. at 632 (upholding the constitutionality of the for-cause removal provision of the FTC Act); 15 U.S.C. \u00a7 41 (\u201cAny Commissioner may be removed by the President for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.\u201d).\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_close_btn_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_close_btn js-footnote-close-btn' aria-label='Back to content'>close<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/cite>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t<span class=\"s1\">\u00a0<\/span>If the Supreme Court overturns <\/em>Humphrey\u2019s Executor<em>, the FTC will no longer function as an independent agency.\n\t\t<span class='js-footnote footnote'>\n\t\t\t<button type='button' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_24259_4' class='footnote_inline_btn js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-describedby='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_24259_4'>\n\t\t\t\t<sup class='footnote_inline_btn_number'>4<\/sup>\n\t\t\t\t<span id='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_24259_4' class='visually_hide'>Open footnote #4<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t<cite id='abstract_footnote_24259_4' class='footnote_content_cite js-footnote-content'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_content_number js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_24259_4' tabindex='-1'>4<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap_inner'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='visually_hide'>Footnote #4 content: <\/span><i>See <\/i>Michael D. Bopp et al., <i>Independent No More? The Implications of the Trump Administration\u2019s <\/i><i>Actions on Independent Agencies<\/i>, GIBSON DUNN (Feb. 25, 2025), https:\/\/www.gibsondunn.com\/independent-no-more-implications-of-the-trump-administrations-actions-on-independent-agencies [https:\/\/perma.cc\/5RK7-G4R2].\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_close_btn_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_close_btn js-footnote-close-btn' aria-label='Back to content'>close<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/cite>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t<span class=\"s1\">\u00a0<\/span>The implications of at-will removal for the FTC\u2019s institutional mandate, as well as for the health and well-being of the American people, have been covered at length in legal news and scholarship to date.<span class=\"s1\">\n\t\t<span class='js-footnote footnote'>\n\t\t\t<button type='button' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_24259_5' class='footnote_inline_btn js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-describedby='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_24259_5'>\n\t\t\t\t<sup class='footnote_inline_btn_number'>5<\/sup>\n\t\t\t\t<span id='footnote_btn_text_abstract_footnote_24259_5' class='visually_hide'>Open footnote #5<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t<cite id='abstract_footnote_24259_5' class='footnote_content_cite js-footnote-content'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_content_number js-footnote-toggle-btn' aria-controls='abstract_footnote_24259_5' tabindex='-1'>5<\/button>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content_wrap_inner'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_content'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='visually_hide'>Footnote #5 content: <\/span><i>See, e.g.<\/i>, Hayley Durudogan &amp; Michael Sozan, <i>What Is <\/i>Humphrey\u2019s Executor <i>and Why Should You Care <\/i><i>About It?<\/i>, CTR. FOR AM. PROGRESS (Feb. 27, 2025), https:\/\/www.americanprogress.org\/article\/what-is-humphreys-executor-and-why-should-you-care-about-it [https:\/\/perma.cc\/8YSM-92CW] (noting that the FTC \u201ccould be blocked from passing pro-consumer rules\u201d if no longer independent); Jonathan Nuechterlein, <i>You\u2019re <\/i><i>Fired: How Direct Presidential Control Makes the FTC Redundant<\/i>, TECH. POL\u2019Y INST. (May 6, 2025) https:\/\/techpolicyinstitute.org\/publications\/antitrust-and-competition\/youre-fired-how-direct-presidential-control-makes-the-ftc-redundant [https:\/\/perma.cc\/9REE-KA3N] (\u201c[A]t-will presidential removal authority defeats each of Congress\u2019s rationales for creating the FTC.\u201d); ANDREW I. GAVIL &amp; WILLIAM E. KOVACIC, PROGRESSIVE POL\u2019Y INST., A DEFENSE OF THE \u201cFOR CAUSE\u201d TERMINATION PROVISIONS OF THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ACT 19 (2025), https:\/\/www.progressivepolicy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/PPI-A-Defense-of-the-For-Cause-Termination-Provisions-of-the-FTC-Act.pdf [https:\/\/perma.cc\/PT4N-XPU3] (\u201cThe model of a multimember, bipartisan, expert board will collapse if the protection against at-will dismissal disappears.\u201d).\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='footnote_close_btn_wrap'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button type='button' class='footnote_close_btn js-footnote-close-btn' aria-label='Back to content'>close<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/cite>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Continue reading <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/georgetown-law-journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/26\/2026\/05\/Coyne_Strengthening-the-FTC.pdf\"><em><strong>Strengthening the Federal Trade Commission: A Lesson from the Labor Board<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/georgetown-law-journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/26\/2026\/05\/Coyne_Strengthening-the-FTC.pdf\" class=\"pdfemb-viewer\" style=\"\" data-width=\"max\" data-height=\"max\" data-toolbar=\"bottom\" data-toolbar-fixed=\"off\">Coyne_Strengthening-the-FTC<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is facing significant challenges to its structure and the scope of its power. In March 2025, President Trump removed two Democratic-appointed FTC Commissioners from office [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13871,"featured_media":0,"parent":24239,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"abstract.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":""},"class_list":["post-24259","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"ticketed":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/georgetown-law-journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/georgetown-law-journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/georgetown-law-journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/georgetown-law-journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13871"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/georgetown-law-journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24259"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/georgetown-law-journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24259\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24262,"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/georgetown-law-journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24259\/revisions\/24262"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/georgetown-law-journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/georgetown-law-journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}