House Subcommittee Begins Comprehensive Look at the FTC on Eve of 100th Anniversary

The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade kicked off a series of hearings examining the work of the Federal Trade Commission as the agency approaches its 100th anniversary next year. The subcommittee is examining the commission’s mission, operating budget, and statutory authorities and what improvements are needed to help the agency protect consumers and promote competition in an ever-changing market.

FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez testified alongside commissioners Julie Brill, Maureen K. Ohlhausen, and Joshua D. Wright. The FTC was originally established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act to enforce competition law and prevent anti-competitive business practices, but over the past 100 years, the commission’s authority has evolved and it now employs broad jurisdiction across most sectors of the economy.

Politico reports that all four FTC commissioners defended their agency’s regulatory role even as they asked for more authority in evolving areas of the Internet economy. The four commissioners, who testified in their first-ever joint appearance in Congress, gave a rundown of their enforcement and policy work at a time when the agency is delving into new topics ranging from the wave of digitally connected appliances known as the “Internet of Things” to litigious “patent trolls.” But the commissioners also faced tough questions from Republicans who took issue with the size of the agency’s budget and the scope of its regulatory involvement.