Mark Meador, an antitrust attorney, has been confirmed as President Donald Trump’s nominee to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) following a party-line vote. Meador, who has previous work experience with the Justice Department and the office of Senator Mike Lee from Utah, will serve alongside Republican Chairman Andrew Ferguson, appointed by Trump, and Commissioner Melissa Holyoak, appointed by Biden.
All present Republican senators voted in favor of Meador’s confirmation, while all present Democrat senators opposed it. Republican Senators John Boozman of Arkansas, Jerry Moran of Kansas, and Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma were absent from the vote. Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who caucuses with the Democrats, also did not vote.
Meador’s appointment follows the dismissal of Democratic commissioners Rebecca Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya by Trump. Both have challenged their terminations in court. Bedoya criticized the move, suggesting that the President intends for the FTC to serve personal interests rather than public ones.
With the current composition, the FTC now includes three Republican members and no Democrats. Established by an Act of Congress, the FTC oversees business competition and addresses antitrust issues. It is uniquely positioned as the only federal agency with both consumer protection and competition jurisdiction across various economic sectors, positioning itself as consumer-oriented.
In light of recent developments, Representative Kathy Castor from Florida has been advocating for legislation to enhance the FTC’s authority. The proposed updates aim to provide the agency with rulemaking power and the ability to impose civil penalties on first offenses to better protect consumers in the digital age. Castor emphasized the necessity of empowering the FTC to effectively safeguard Americans from fraudulent practices.