Lina Khan is willing to stay on as chair of the Federal Trade Commission next year if the next president asks her to. She may still have to fight for her post.
Confirming Khan a second time would be a “more difficult task,” Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri told Semafor. He supported her in 2021, but Hawley now sees Khan’s record as mixed since she became the Biden administration’s top trustbuster.
She has also made some enemies on Wall Street with her vigorous antitrust stance, and several wealthy donors are already pushing for Kamala Harris to replace her if Harris wins the White House. On paper at least, she can also see some Republicans as supporting her willingness to challenge Big Tech – including Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance.
Hawley’s comments, however, are a sign that if Khan is re-nominated by a Harris administration, it will be difficult for her to regain the 20-vote lead in the Senate that she won three years ago.
Khan’s future will be a critical question for the next administration; her term ends on September 25, after which she can remain in office indefinitely until she is replaced. The FTC’s leadership has significant implications for companies seeking to merge with competitors, as well as for large companies accused of anti-competitive behavior, such as Amazon.
The prospect of a steeper rise in Khan’s confirmation numbers next year means political inertia may be their best chance of holding out — especially with Republicans currently holding a slight advantage in retaking the Senate. And if Trump takes the White House, Republicans would likely want to put their own stamp on the critical body, which currently has a Democratic majority.
She already has an influential progressive pushing Harris’ campaign to eliminate business interests that disapprove of her strong regulatory drive.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he told Harris’ advisers that Khan should keep her job.
“Lina Khan was one of the most outstanding appointments of the Biden administration,” Sanders told Semafor. “I think we’re seeing massive concentration of ownership in one sector after another in this country, and we need someone to break up monopolies. I think it’s very important that she stays on board.”
The Harris campaign team did not respond to a request for comment.
“Chairman Khan has spent her time at the FTC fighting to lower the cost of food and life-saving medicines, free American workers trapped by non-compete agreements, end junk fees and corporate abuses, and make it easier for entrepreneurs to succeed,” FTC spokesman Douglas Farrar said in a statement to Semafor. “There is still much work to be done to show American consumers and entrepreneurs the benefits of fair competition.”
