by National Consumer League issues letter from 100 stakeholders who ask the administration to cease what they call an illegal attempt to fire all 3 Democratic commissioners
WASHINGTON — A number of consumer advocates have gone on record opposing the Supreme Court’s decision to allow President Trump to pursue what some view as the politically motivated firing of three Democratic commissioners at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
This includes the National Consumers League, which also issued a letter on Thursday from 100 stakeholders calling on the administration to “cease its illegal attempt to fire all three Democratic CPSC commissioners,” who are Mary T. Boyle, Richard L. Trumka Jr. and Alexander Hoehn-Saric.
The New York Times reported that they claimed to be targeted “for votes they had cast to stop the import of poorly made lithium-ion batteries and for objecting to staffing cuts.”
The Times also reported that while federal law only allows them to be terminated for neglect of duty or malfeasance, the president “gave no reason for the firings,” adding that Trump “has said that congressional limits on his ability to remove leaders of independent agencies are an unconstitutional check on the president’s power to control the executive branch.”
“This is a sad day for product safety and the rule of law in the United States,” said Daniel Greene, senior director of Consumer Protection & Product Safety at the NCL. The NCL was founded in 1899, with a mission “to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.”
“Congress deliberately established an independent, nonpartisan agency with exclusive authority over the safety of consumer products,” Greene continued. “This independence ensures that the CPSC is mission-driven, guided by experts and science, and insulated from changing political tides. In allowing this illegal firing to stand, the court’s stay is inconsistent with the spirit and letter of the law.”
Consumer Reports also has gone on record in opposition to the firings at the agency, which was established in 1972.
The publication noted that the agency was designed to be “[a]n independent regulatory commission … consisting of five commissioners who shall be appointed by the president, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate” where “[n]ot more than three of the commissioners shall be affiliated with the same political party.” Commissioners “may be removed by the president for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office but for no other cause.”
“The Supreme Court’s decision to allow these firings undermines Congress’ authority and puts the public at serious risk,” said Oriene Shin, manager of Safety Advocacy at Consumer Reports. “For years, the agency’s bipartisan leadership has taken strong actions that put consumers’ safety first in a rapidly evolving marketplace. The CPSC must be able to carry out its mission independently, for our families, who will suffer the consequences of a more dangerous marketplace. Congress should act quickly to defend the rule of law and support these commissioners in keeping their lawfully held roles.”
The controversy began around May 8 when the Trump administration attempted to fire the three commissioners. They were later reinstated by court order.
However, the Supreme Court decision appears to override that development.
Home News Now also has reached out to the American Home Furnishings Alliance, which has declined to comment at this time, until there is more clarity regarding the matter.
Consumer Reports said it has long supported the mission of the CPSC “and its critical role as an independent watchdog since its creation.”
It cited recent actions as important steps to protecting consumers from “unreasonable risk of injury and death:”
+ In 2024, the CPSC screened millions of e-commerce listings and was responsible for the removal of more than 53,000 recalled or banned products.
+ In coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the CPSC has intercepted tens of thousands of violative items at U.S. ports of entry before they could harm American families.
+ Since 2021, the CPSC has assessed more than $125 million in civil penalties for violations of product safety laws.
+ The CPSC has set strong safety standards to help protect children from serious injury and death, including to prevent dresser tip-overs, ingestion of button and coin cell batteries, and intestinal damage from small high-powered magnets.
+ For babies, the CPSC has taken several steps to prevent suffocation and sudden unexpected infant death, including through new standards for crib mattresses, nursing pillows and loungers, and bans on inclined sleepers and padded crib bumpers.
The July 22 letter from the 100 stakeholders sent to President Trump also strongly urges the administration to rescind the firings.
“Ninety years ago, the Supreme Court affirmed that the Constitution does not grant the president the power to ignore congressionally established guardrails and fire expert commissioners of independent agencies,” the letter stated, noting that “in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States,” the court ruled that it is “plain under the Constitution that illimitable power of removal is not possessed by the president in respect of officers” of independent agencies. Congress does indeed have the power to establish fixed terms by which CPSC commissioners will serve and “forbid their removal except for cause.”
The letter also said that “this unlawful effort to dismantle the leadership and bipartisanship of the CPSC will significantly undermine the agency’s ability to protect the health and safety of the American people through the creation of strong safety standards, recalls of hazardous products and educational campaigns. Diverse perspectives improve safety. Silencing the voices of subject matter experts with whom you politically disagree would have a chilling effect on the CPSC’s functions. The agency’s safety standards, enforcement actions, consumer education campaigns, data collection initiatives and recall processes could all suffer.”
The stakeholders that signed the letter include the following groups and individuals:
National Consumers League.
Consumer Federation of America.
Consumer Reports.
Access Ready Inc.
Aden Lamps Foundation.
Aging Life Care Association.
America Walks.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Arizona Chapter.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Florida Chapter.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Georgia Chapter.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Idaho Chapter.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Virginia Chapter.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Washington D.C. Chapter.
American Academy of Pediatrics, West Virginia Chapter.
Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota.
Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.
Bicycle Colorado.
Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute.
Bike Cleveland.
Bike LA.
Bike Pittsburgh.
BioInjury LLC.
California Bicycle Coalition.
Center for Auto Safety.
Center for Digital Democracy.
Center for Economic Integrity.
Center for Economic Justice.
Center for Justice & Democracy.
Center for Pet Safety.
Child Care Aware of Virginia.
Claire Bear Foundation.
Consumer Action.
Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety.
Cribs for Kids.
Derrick Stone Safe Sleep.
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund.
Earth Ethics Inc.
Families for Safe Streets.
First Candle.
Food Empowerment Project
Government Information Watch.
Green America.
Hawai’i Bicycling League.
Healthy Babies Bright Futures.
Homestretch Nonprofit Housing Corp.
Housing and Economic Rights Advocates.
Just Strategy.
Keeping Babies Safe.
Kids and Car Safety.
League of American Bicyclists.
Living Streets Alliance.
Local Motion.
Main Street Academies.
Maine People’s Alliance.
Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition.
Missourians for Responsible Transportation.
Napa County Bicycle Coalition.
National Bicycle Dealers Association.
National Coalition for Safer Roads.
National Drowning Prevention Alliance.
Oregon Consumer Justice.
Oregon Consumer League.
PediMom LLC.
People Power United.
Responsible Sourcing Network.
Ride Illinois.
Safe Infant Sleep.
Safety Research & Strategies.
Sciencecorps.
Shepard’s Watch.
Stop Drowning Now.
StopDistractions.org.
The National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The Wisconsin Bike Federation.
Together We Thrive Inc.
Trailnet.
Truck Safety Coalition.
United States Swim School Association.
Unleaded Kids.
U.S. Swim School Association.
Virginia Citizens Consumer Council.
Washington Area Bicyclist Association.
West Virginia Citizen Action Group.
Women in Fire.
Justin Raphael, Product Safety Advocate.
Kelli Schweigart, Product Safety Advocate.
Kristina Knapp, Product Safety Advocate.
Mary Jagim, Product Safety Advocate.
Mayra Romero-Ferman, Product Safety Advocate.
Melissa Wandall, Product Safety Advocate.
Michael Haggard, Product Safety Advocate.
Nina Batista, Product Safety Advocate.
Pamela Gilbert, Product Safety Advocate.
Paul Susca, Product Safety Advocate.
Sandeep Khatua, Product Safety Advocate.
Sara Thompson, Parent Advocate.
Sofia Diaz, Product Safety Advocate.
Stephen Hargarten, MD, MPH, Product Safety Advocate.
Taylor Bethard, Parent Advocate.
