# Academics call on Congress to restore agency independence after Trump v. Slaughter

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/academics-call-on-congress-to-restore-agency-independence-after-trump-v-slaughter/
- Published: 2026-07-27T23:37:25+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-28T00:08:07+00:00
- Original publisher: The Hill (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://thehill.com/homenews/5993085-scotus-ruling-stalls-commissions/
- Topics: Government, Politics

## Key points

- Supreme Court expanded presidential power over independent agencies.
- Academics want Congress to restore institutional safeguards.
- The ruling overturned a 91-year-old precedent.

## Summary

Legal academics are urging Congress to rebuild safeguards for independent federal agencies after the US Supreme Court’s decision in *Trump v. Slaughter*. The ruling allows presidents to dismiss leaders of agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission more freely, weakening a longstanding model designed to insulate regulatory decisions from direct White House control; the scholars argue Congress should respond through legislation.

The case arose from President Trump’s 2025 dismissal of FTC commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, despite a law allowing removal only for specified misconduct or incapacity. In a 6–3 decision on 29 June, the Court overturned the 91-year-old *Humphrey’s Executor* precedent, potentially affecting numerous bipartisan commissions; supporters say it strengthens presidential accountability, while critics warn it makes regulators more vulnerable to political pressure.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.