In a move that has sparked both legal challenges and widespread concern, President Donald Trump fired all three Democratic members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) via an overnight email on Thursday.
The CPSC, an independent agency responsible for protecting Americans from dangerous products, issuing recalls, and ensuring safety standards, now faces significant uncertainty as Trump’s administration continues to target independent federal agencies.
The firings are part of Trump’s ongoing efforts to reshape federal agencies that he perceives as opposing his administration’s agenda. These actions are in line with a broader strategy to assert more control over independent agencies and challenge their functions, drawing pushback from Democratic lawmakers and consumer protection advocates.
The dismissal of the three Democratic commissioners—Richard Trumka Jr., Mary Boyle, and Alexander Hoehn-Saric—has raised concerns that the Trump administration is attempting to dismantle the CPSC and eliminate its crucial role in protecting consumer safety.
The firings came after an increasing number of consumer protection groups and lawmakers warned that the White House, backed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought, was pushing to eliminate the agency altogether.
These lawmakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders and several other Congressional Democrats, sent a letter on Friday condemning the proposed plans to absorb the CPSC’s functions into a “currently nonexistent staff division” within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NPR, but Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the controversy during her Friday briefing, stating that the president “has the right to fire people within the executive branch.”
This response reflects the administration’s continued push to centralize power and control over federal operations, particularly those that operate independently from the White House.
Trumka, one of the fired commissioners, reacted swiftly to his termination, vowing to challenge the firing in court. "I’ll see him in court," Trumka said in a social media post.
He later spoke to NPR, expressing concern about the potential consequences of the firings for U.S. consumers. "I think U.S. consumers should be a little bit worried right now, because we did not get stronger and we did not get safer today overall," Trumka stated.
The firings were delivered via email late Thursday, with no reason given for the dismissals. Boyle confirmed her termination to The Washington Post, while Hoehn-Saric, the third commissioner, revealed that he had received no official communication from the White House but was informed by Acting Chairman Peter Feldman that Trump was also seeking his removal.
Hoehn-Saric described his experience at work on Friday, stating that he was “basically prohibited from coming into the building or using any equipment.” He expressed his sadness over the situation, criticizing the actions of Feldman, who he said was enforcing the decision to remove him.
Feldman, who remains the acting chairman of the CPSC, informed the agency’s employees that Trump had lawfully exercised his authority to remove the commissioners.
In an email to CPSC staff, Feldman wrote, “Both the Constitution and the Consumer Product Safety Act grant the President authority to remove members of CPSC.
President Trump has exercised this authority, and he has done so lawfully. CPSC remains committed to our important safety mission: protecting American consumers from the unreasonable risk of injury associated with consumer products.”
However, this legal justification has done little to assuage concerns about the agency’s future.
The CPSC, created in 1972, is tasked with protecting the American public from hazardous products that could cause injury or death, such as unsafe children’s toys or faulty portable bed rails.
The agency is vital for ensuring that products on the market meet safety standards, and it plays a crucial role in overseeing product recalls. In addition to issuing safety warnings, the CPSC also seizes dangerous products at ports of entry to prevent them from reaching consumers.
The agency is led by five commissioners, each serving staggered terms, ensuring that no single party can dominate its work. Despite its bipartisan structure, the firing of three Democratic commissioners in a single stroke raises alarms about political interference in an agency that has long been seen as a safeguard for American consumers.
Trumka and Hoehn-Saric, in interviews with NPR, explained that their firings came shortly after their refusal to comply with demands from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an informal agency run by Trump and supported by billionaire Elon Musk. DOGE has been pushing to reduce the federal workforce, including staffing at agencies like the CPSC.
The two commissioners said that they had refused to make additional staffing cuts, which they viewed as detrimental to the agency’s ability to carry out its core mission.
Trumka further detailed how, on the afternoon of Thursday, the CPSC’s Acting Chair, Peter Feldman, sent an email asking commissioners to approve the inclusion of two DOGE staff members, Justin Fox and Nate Cavanaugh, in the agency.
Feldman set a deadline for 6:00 p.m. to respond, but Trumka said that both he and Hoehn-Saric had opposed the move. This refusal to accept DOGE staff led to Trumka’s abrupt termination.
In a statement, Trumka expressed his concern that allowing DOGE representatives to infiltrate the CPSC would “gut” the agency and undermine its ability to protect consumers.
The removal of the three Democratic commissioners has left the CPSC in a precarious position. The agency’s work is critical to ensuring that dangerous products do not end up in American homes, and without a full complement of commissioners, its ability to function effectively could be severely hindered.
The agency is currently operating with only two commissioners, but under the law, it needs at least three members to form a quorum and conduct official business.
Hoehn-Saric expressed concerns that the agency would struggle to carry out its duties without adequate leadership. “I don’t think you’re going to see any safety standards coming out of this agency—not while there’s only the two commissioners in there,” he told NPR.
Hoehn-Saric, who has served as chief counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, emphasized that the CPSC’s ability to continue its work is in jeopardy unless the Trump administration takes immediate action to nominate and confirm new commissioners.
Trumka, meanwhile, warned that the firing of the Democratic commissioners is part of a broader trend of undermining independent agencies and weakening consumer protection efforts.
He pledged to continue fighting for the American people and promised that the legal battle over his firing is far from over. “I will continue protecting the American people from harm through that time,” Trumka wrote on social media.
“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.”
The firings at the CPSC are not isolated incidents. They are part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to exert more control over independent federal agencies and limit their power.
In addition to the CPSC, other agencies have been targeted for staff cuts and restructuring, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
These efforts have sparked lawsuits and legal challenges, with critics arguing that the president’s actions violate the law and undermine the effectiveness of independent agencies that are supposed to operate free from political influence.
Trump’s push to centralize control over independent agencies has significant consequences for the future of consumer protection, civil rights, and other important functions that these agencies perform.
While the president has the authority to remove commissioners for neglect of duty or malfeasance, the sweeping nature of the firings and the political motivations behind them raise serious questions about the future of these vital agencies.
The firing of all three Democratic commissioners at the CPSC marks a troubling moment in the ongoing battle over the future of independent federal agencies.
With the future of the CPSC now uncertain, Trumka and Hoehn-Saric’s legal challenges will play a critical role in determining the agency’s future. The move has drawn widespread condemnation from consumer protection groups, lawmakers, and advocates for independent governance, who argue that the Trump administration’s actions are undermining vital protections for American consumers.
As the legal challenges continue to unfold, the CPSC and other agencies may face further disruption in their efforts to safeguard the public.
