Blumenthal & Schakowsky Call on FTC to Assert Political Independence as Trump Attempts to Hijack Commission for Political Retaliation

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection, and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Chairwoman of the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, subcommittees responsible for oversight of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), called on the agency to assert its political independence following President Trump’s recent “Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship,” which directs federal agencies to investigate and retaliate against online platforms over purported political bias.

“The President’s executive order is a transparently unconstitutional scheme to coerce private companies for political purposes, and has no interest in freedom of expression or consumer protection,” wrote Blumenthal and Schakowsky in a letter to FTC Chairman Joseph Simons. “We urge you to show leadership against the President’s attempts to undermine its independence and act to defend the FTC’s consumer protection and competition mission.”

Blumenthal and Schakowsky expressed serious alarm over the President’s order threatening the agency’s ability to enforce the law, especially as Big Tech continues to pursue anticompetitive practices and action is needed. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers have faced an onslaught of fraud, malware, and other financial crime requiring more enforcement from the FTC. They also pointed out that because the executive order requires the FTC to consider reports of bias in unrelated legal complaints – like violations of competitive laws – it may create the impression that the agency’s enforcement actions have hidden political motives, which is antithetical to its mission.

The full text of the letter is included below and available here.

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