WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — President Donald Trump is attempting to fire the three Democratic Consumer Product Safety Commissioners after they objected to staff firings at the agency.
“See you in court, Mr. President” headlined Commission Richard L. Trumka Jr.’s statement issued Friday.
Commissioner Mary T. Boyle also received notice of termination. Alexander Hoehn-Saric issued a statement, saying while he did not receive a termination email, Acting Chair Peter Feldman “is preventing me from executing my duties as commissioner based on an assertion that the President is also seeking my removal.”
According to Trumka, the issue came to a head Wednesday when the Trump administration wanted some CPSC employees fired, and during the annual planning meeting, Trumka said he will be “a roadblock” in that effort. The next day at 2 p.m., according to Trumka, Department of Government Efficiency representatives visited the CPSC.
“By 3:45 pm, CPSC’s acting chair, Peter Feldman, sent an email to commissioners seeking approval to bring aboard two DOGE detailees to the agency: Justin Fox and Nate Cavanaugh. He set a 6 p.m. deadline to respond. I said no, because if these people are allowed in to govern our agency, they will gut it, and the result will turn back the clock on product safety. Two of my colleagues said no as well, forming a majority to block the move. Rather than respect the democratic process, soon after, I received the email purporting to fire me.”
“The illegal attempt to remove me from the CPSC happened immediately after my colleagues and I took steps to advance our safety work and protect our staff from arbitrary firings,” Hoehn-Saric wrote. “President Trump’s action politicizes a critical independent public safety agency that was structured by law to avoid such interference.”
Perhaps adding to the dissention with the White House, the CPSC voted 3-2 on April 30 to advance its proposed e-mobility device and lithium-ion battery testing standards to the 60-day public comment period required under the Notice of Public Rulemaking guidelines. A debate ensued with the two Republican commissioners, including Fedman, who introduced a motion to submit the proposal to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs per a Trump Executive Order, and Commissioner Douglas Dziak
Before the Executive Order was issued, the CPSC, by act of Congress, was empowered to act independently to promulgate mandatory regulations in the name of public safety.
“Unfortunately for the President, he did not have the authority to fire me,” wrote Trumka, who referenced U.S. Code 15 U.S.C. § 2053(a), which states commissioners may be removed “for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office but for no other cause.”
“I have a set term on this independent, bipartisan commission that does not expire until October of 2028, and I will continue protecting the American people from harm through that time,” Trumka wrote. “The President would like to end this nation’s long history of independent agencies, so he’s chosen to ignore the law and pretend independence doesn’t exist. I’ll see him in court. CPSC’s lifesaving work is far too important to take this lying down. … It’s my job is to tell bad actors what they don’t like to hear: They can’t sell products that hurt your kids. And if they ignore that, to warn you that their products could hurt your family. Profit-hungry companies stand to gain a lot from getting rid of me. Make no mistake: Their gain would come at your expense.”
