Senate Commerce Considers FTC Nominees

On Tuesday, the Senate Commerce Committee considered the nominations of Julie Simone Brill and Edith Ramirez to be commissioners at the Federal Trade Commission.

Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) noted that Ms Brill has spent her career in state Attorneys General offices advocating on behalf of consumers and said he hoped she will help the FTC work more closely with state Attorney General divisions to leverage and increase enforcement against those who target consumers, especially the most vulnerable. Ms Brill said, "The FTC has been cracking down on those who hunt for easy prey. We can build on this work, and focus on the dramatic rise in scams designed to take advantage of consumers' economic insecurity. At the same time, we must continue our efforts to educate consumers so they can better protect themselves by making responsible choices."

Ms Ramirez has extensive experience in complex business litigation. Chairman Rockefeller said, "I appreciate her critical eye for mergers and business combinations which may potentially harm consumers. Ms Ramirez said, "Now, in these difficult economic times, the need to be vigilant and aggressive in protecting American consumers is especially pressing. The Commission's duty to combat deceptive and unfair business practices and to foster competition has never been greater, particularly in the areas that have the greatest impact on the daily lives of ordinary Americans such as financial services, healthcare, energy, and technology."