This is it, the Holy Grail for Republicans. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority today will pretend to weigh whether to kill the concept of independent federal agencies that are supposed to operate at arm’s length from the president. Via NBC News:
In a significant case on the structure of the federal government, the conservative-majority court is hearing arguments on whether President Donald Trump had the authority to fire a member of the Federal Trade Commission regardless of a law enacted by Congress to insulate the agency from political pressures.
The court has already signaled, with strong opposition from the three liberal justices, that Trump is likely to win the case by allowing the Democratic-appointed commissioner, Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, to be removed from office while the litigation continues.
Trump fired Slaughter and the commission’s other Democratic appointee in March. The FTC, which is responsible for consumer protection and antitrust enforcement, currently has just two of five commissioners, both Republican-appointed.
Since taking office in January, Trump has sought to dramatically remake the federal government by downsizing agencies whose missions he does not favor, withholding Congress-approved spending he opposes and firing thousands of career federal employees.
