Washington, D.C. — In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling today in the case of Seila Law v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, People For the American Way President Ben Jealous and Executive Vice President for Policy and Program Marge Baker released the following statements:
“Today’s Supreme Court decision in the Seila Law case sends a very bad message about protections for health, safety, and the rights of consumers and investors. It empowers Donald Trump to fire the head of an independent consumer protection agency for no reason – which in practice, will mean firing for corrupt, partisan political reasons. The far right has been trying for decades to do away with government protections for consumers so big corporations can run roughshod over all of us. This ruling just gave them a serious leg up, and it goes without saying that the people who pay the highest price will be poor people and people of color,” said Jealous.
“We are deeply troubled by the Seila Law ruling and what it could mean for the government’s ability to provide critical protections for everyday Americans. It’s good to see that the Court itself did not invalidate the CFPB’s work to date, but that was only because of the moderate justices and could well be questioned in other cases. But giving Donald Trump the right to fire the agency’s head on a whim destroys its independence and sets a terrible precedent. The risks are huge for other agencies as well, since this ruling noted that it could extend to the Commissioner of Social Security, too. The far right just scored a victory in its decades-long battle to destroy the social safety net. It’s critical that we vote in November for a president and senators who will nominate and confirm fair-minded judges who won’t rule exclusively in favor of big corporations in this way,” said Baker.
About People For the American Way
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. Learn more:https://www.pfaw.org.