NE Washington News

Washington D.C. — Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chair Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) delivered opening remarks on behalf of House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) at the Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee hearing titled “The Fiscal Year 2025 Federal Trade Commission Budget.”

“Thank you, Chair Bilirakis for your leadership. Chair Khan, we appreciate you testifying today, along with Commissioners Slaughter and Bedoya. And welcome to the newest additions to the Commission, Commissioners Holyoak and Ferguson. We appreciate all of you being here today and for your service,” Armstrong stated.

Armstrong expressed concerns over recent court cases lost by the FTC and some priorities undertaken without clear review. He acknowledged the challenges faced by the FTC staff but emphasized the need for bipartisan collaboration to modernize the Commission’s authority.

“I continue to be concerned that the FTC’s court losses are degrading the agency’s effectiveness at a critical time when we are trying to modernize the Commission’s authority to better protect Americans online,” Armstrong said. “The challenges we’re working to address need strong bipartisan collaboration and consensus.”

Armstrong also stressed that the FTC must remain independent from political influence, criticizing what he described as an alignment with White House talking points under the current administration.

“Under this administration, we have seen time and again the FTC echoing the talking points of the White House,” he remarked. He cited President Biden's recent comments blaming higher consumer costs on price gouging by companies while ignoring policy-driven inflation.

Armstrong called for more efforts from both sides to strengthen American supply chains and reduce barriers facing businesses. He criticized changes made by Chair Khan, such as removing phrases in the FTC mission statement that prevent government overreach.

“Eliminating guardrails designed to prevent government overreach—like your removal of the longstanding phrase in the FTC mission statement 'without unduly burdening legitimate business activity' or violating due process laws and intimidation of businesses—go against the FTC’s core mission as directed by Congress,” Armstrong asserted.

He reiterated his commitment to establishing the FTC as a leading data protection agency but emphasized that critical guardrails must be established first.

“The FTC plays a critical role in protecting Americans, here at home and threats from abroad,” Armstrong noted. He referenced previous concerns raised about TikTok's impact on national security, privacy, and online safety.

“These are goals that I know we share, and I hope that we can work together to achieve them,” he concluded.