On Monday, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Trump v Slaughter, challenging President Trump’s attempted firing of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter. Food & Water Watch and 39 other groups have submitted an amicus brief in support of Commissioner Slaughter’s reinstatement, highlighting the importance of independent federal agencies necessary to protect consumers from powerful corporations.

At stake in this case are three main issues:

1. Expanding and consolidating executive power during a time when that power is already rife with abuse
2. The risk that billionaires and political cronies will control and corrupt federal agencies  
3. The integrity of federal agencies that serve vital roles in our society, including protecting Americans from corporate exploitation, safeguarding the economy and transparency in markets, and making sure consumer products and transportation are safe.

Food & Water Watch Legal Director Tarah Heinzen said:

“An independent FTC is critical to protecting consumers. History is rife with examples of industry influence that has stifled food safety investigations, sped slaughterhouse line speeds, and allowed food corporations to police themselves — while Americans got sick and died. Corporate capture and politicization of our federal agencies harms people and erodes trust in government. The Supreme Court must reinstate Commissioner Slaughter to the Federal Trade Commission after her unlawful firing.”

The dangers of industry capture underscore the need for independent Commissioners. Ongoing industry influence at USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) illustrates this:

• In 1993, after contaminated hamburger meat from Jack In the Box killed four people and sickened hundreds, FSIS introduced a rule to finally update ineffective meat inspection standards. The agency ultimately bowed to beef industry pressure, and published a weak rule that allowed corporations to police themselves. Less than two years later, FSIS issued its largest-ever meat recall — 25 million pounds of ground beef.
• In 2019, the FSIS eliminated line speed limits at pork processing plants and transferred key inspection tasks previously handled by agency staff to producers’ own employees. Fast line speeds jeopardize food safety; workers’ health and safety; and clean water.

The groups’ amicus brief was led by Consumer Federation of America, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), and Demand Progress Education Fund, and filed by the Center for Consumer Law and Economic Justice at U.C. Berkeley School of Law and the law firm Berger Montague.