Fifth FTC commissioner could face tough confirmation slog

It could be a long time before the Federal Trade Commission has all five commissioners again.

The FTC is currently made up of two Democrats and two Republicans. President Barack Obama has yet to name his choice for the open fifth seat, but Senate Republicans are unlikely to be in any hurry to give Democrats a majority on the commission, no matter who the nominee is. Republican opposition would likely prevent any nominee from even coming up for a vote. The FTC, which handles competition enforcement, consumer protection and privacy issues, needs a majority vote to take action against a company or to adopt new regulations.