• by Wendy Davis , April 11, 2025

The Senate on Thursday voted 50-46 on party lines to confirm antitrust attorney Mark Meador to the Federal Trade Commission, leaving the agency – which Congress established as a five-member bipartisan, independent commission – with three Republican members and no Democrats.

The Senate's move came two weeks after President Donald Trump ousted the two Democratic commissioners – Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter. Both are suing for reinstatement, arguing that the purported firings violate a 90-year-old Supreme Court ruling that prohibits presidents from firing FTC members without cause.

Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, opposed Meador's confirmation, largely due to concerns about what his appointment – combined with the ouster of the Democrats – mean for the agency's independence.

“The independent, bipartisan structure of the agency ensures that all viewpoints ... not just those of the President of the United States, are heard,” Cantwell said Wednesday evening in a floor speech. “It's clear that this administration doesn't want the watchdog that I would like to see protecting consumers.”

Meador told the Senate Commerce Committee in February that, if confirmed, he would “work to ensure that the FTC’s precious enforcement resources are focused on the cases most needed to protect consumers and move the law in the right direction, not wasted on pet projects that risk making bad law or distract from addressing real threats to American consumers.”

Meador previously served as antitrust counsel for Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah). He also previously worked as an antitrust prosecutor for the Department of Justice and the FTC.