Mark Meador on Feb. 25. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Senate on Thursday voted 50-46 to confirm Republican Mark Meador as a commissioner for the FTC.
Why it matters: Meador's confirmation brings the total number of commissioners at the FTC to three after President Trump fired the two Democrats at the historically bipartisan independent agency.
- Meador will serve alongside chair Andrew Ferguson and Republican commissioner Melissa Holyoak.
- The fired Democratic members, Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter, are fighting for their jobs in court.
Catch up quick: Meador is an antitrust attorney who formerly worked in the Senate and for the Justice Department.
- During his testimony before lawmakers last month, Meador did not commit to continuing or shutting down any ongoing competition inquiries or cases and said the FTC would be looking into alleged Big Tech censorship.
The big picture: The agency will be able to vote out enforcement matters more smoothly with three commissioners, who'll likely agree on most issues and follow President Trump's lead on antitrust.
- Sen. Maria Cantwell urged Democrats to vote no on Meador's confirmation due to continued questions around the fired FTC commissioners.
