The Supreme Court heard arguments regarding the future of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This comes at a time when the Biden administration is attempting to reinstate the agency’s ability to enforce consumer protection rules after they were weakened under Trump’s term. The cases before the high court deal with whether a president can remove the director of the agency without cause, a decision that could have a major impact on the CFPB’s mission.
The debate has come to focus on the meaning of the law that created the CFPB in 2010, specifically the law’s language regarding its director. While the law says that the president can fire the director for “inefficiency, neglect or malfeasance in office,” opponents of the CFPB have argued it should also allow for the firing of the director without cause. The CFPB has argued that if they were subjected to such widespread removal authority, it could undermine the bureau’s mission.
The questioning by Supreme Court justices during the virtual hearing on Monday suggested that a majority of them are leaning toward allowing the president to fire the director without cause. Chief Justice John Roberts, who has been a vocal supporter of the CFPB, asked if leaving the decision of “cause” in the hands of the director gives the agency too much power. Other key justices like Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh seemed to agree, with Alito questioning if the court should rely on “very strained and unthinking” interpretations of the law to prevent the termination of agency directors.
It is unclear what the court’s ultimate decision will be, but either way it is likely to have a significant impact on the future of the CFPB. If the court sides with Trump appointees, it could weaken its enforcement powers drastically and put the agency’s mission in jeopardy. On the other hand, if the court sides with the CFPB it could embolden the agency and provide more safeguards against presidential interference.
The Supreme Court’s decision is expected to be announced before the end of the court term in June. Until then, it remains unclear what the future of the CFPB looks like. By examining the questioning of the justices, however, it appears that a majority of the court appears to be leaning towards allowing a U.S. president to fire the director of the CFPB without cause. Whatever the outcome may be, it is sure to have a major impact on the future of consumer protection regulations in the United States.