“The proposed FTC mission statement is an attack on the rule of law and the American free-market economy.”
—John Masslon, WLF Senior Litigation Counsel

Click here for WLF’s comment.

WASHINGTON, DC— Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) today urged the Federal Trade Commission to stay the course and not amend its mission statement. In formal comments filed with the FTC, WLF explains that adopting the amended mission statement would violate the Constitution and federal statutes. It would also damage the American economy.

For years, FTC’s mission statement has stressed that it cannot unnecessarily burden legitimate business activities. And for good reason. Under the Constitution, federal agencies may not deny parties of property or liberty without due process of law. But that is exactly what will occur if the FTC unnecessarily burdens businesses’ legitimate activities. It would also violate the statutes that the FTC enforces because nothing in those statutes suggests that the FTC may unnecessarily burden legitimate business activities.

As explained in WLF’s comments, amending the FTC’s mission statement would cause regulatory uncertainty. Many experts—from the former chairman of the Federal Reserve to the current head of the International Monetary Fund—believe that regulatory uncertainty hurts the economy. In these trying times, regulatory uncertainty could be what pushes companies out of business. WLF urges the FTC not to go down this path. Rather, it should keep the current mission statement.

Celebrating its 44th year, WLF is America’s premier public-interest law firm and policy center advocating for free-market principles, limited government, individual liberty, and the rule of law.