Schumer recommends consumer advocate for FTC

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced on Tuesday that he is backing a consumer advocate and former Department of Education official to serve on the Federal Trade Commission.

Schumer formally recommended that President Trump nominate Rohit Chopra, currently a fellow at the Consumer Federation of America, to fill the Democratic opening on the FTC.

“The Federal Trade Commission should be led by people who put the interests of consumers above all else, and that’s what Rohit Chopra has done his entire life,” Schumer said in a statement. 

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“Whether it was fighting on behalf of students and borrowers with student loan issues at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or working to protect the finances of our nation’s veterans, Rohit has been a thoughtful and effective advocate for consumers.”

Only two of the FTC’s five seats are currently filled. Trump tapped Republican Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen to serve as the agency’s acting chairwoman until he decides on a permanent replacement.

Prior to joining the Consumer Federation of America, Chopra was an adviser to former Secretary of Education John King, and before that, an official at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

It’s unclear whether Trump will heed Schumer’s recommendation, though it is standard for the president to take input from opposition leaders when nominating minority commissioners. A White House spokeswoman did not immediately respond when asked to comment.