GET DAILY REPORT FREE
The U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally reshaped the relationship between the presidency and independent federal agencies by overturning most of the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor decision, which had allowed Congress to protect agency leaders from being removed without cause, Bloomberg reports.
The ruling arose from President Donald Trump’s 2025 dismissal of Rebecca Slaughter as head of the Federal Trade Commission. Slaughter had argued that federal law permitted her removal only for inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance.
In a 6-3 decision, the court held that such restrictions are generally incompatible with the Constitution because officials exercising executive power must remain accountable to the president.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that the FTC’s broad enforcement and regulatory responsibilities place it squarely within the executive branch, making its commissioners removable at the president’s discretion.
The decision extends beyond the FTC to potentially dozens of independent agencies, including bodies responsible for labor relations, consumer safety and financial regulation, giving presidents greater authority to shape their leadership and policy direction. The ruling also builds on a series of recent decisions that have narrowed the autonomy of federal agencies and embraced a stronger view of presidential control over the executive branch.
However, the court signaled that certain institutions, particularly the Federal Reserve, may remain subject to different constitutional considerations because of their unique role in monetary policy.
The dissenting justices argued that the majority abandoned decades of precedent and weakened an important safeguard against political influence over independent regulators, warning that the decision could concentrate too much authority in the presidency and reduce the independence Congress intended for agencies that oversee significant sectors of the U.S. economy.
