Biden and Senate Dems running out of time to stop Trump from replacing these 11 key officials
Editor's note: This article has been updated to clarify that outgoing FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel is stepping down on January 20. The headline has also been updated.
Even though Democrats lost the White House and the Senate majority on November 5, they still have a small window of time to act in order to keep multiple important government regulators in their positions beyond President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. But that window is closing fast.
In a recent thread on X, the Revolving Door Project (RDP) pointed out that nearly a dozen officials whose terms are about to expire can be kept in their posts well into the second Trump administration, where they could be in a position to frustrate his agenda in their respective agencies. However, deadlines are quickly approaching for the Senate to confirm them.
The RDP began their thread by reminding Democrats that National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) chair Lauren McFerran has less than 10 days left in her term. If she is confirmed to another five-year term, Democrats will have a voting majority on the board until 2026. Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said that confirming McFerran to another term is one of his "highest priorities," and Democrats only need 50 "yea" votes with Vice President Kamala Harris' casting the tie-breaking vote if necessary. McFerran has said she plans to continue advocating on behalf of workers if confirmed to another term.
READ MORE: 'You will see a real push': Journalist reveals 'main focus' of Biden's lame duck period
Other major regulators Senate Democrats can protect in the lame-duck session include Caroline Crenshaw at the Securities and Exchange Commission, along with Julie Brinn Seigel at the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, Christy Goldsmith Romero at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Mark Eskenazi at the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and Marcus Graham at the Federal Credit Administration, according to the RDP. If confirmed before the new Republican Senate majority is sworn in on January 3, Trump would be unable to fire them.
One of the more well-known regulators seen as a high priority for Republicans to replace is Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chair Lina Khan, who was put in charge of the FTC in 2021. The anti-monopoly advocate's term expired in late September, but if President Joe Biden renominates her to another seven-year term, Senate Democrats can confirm her before the lame-duck session ends.
Additionally, Democrats have a small window of opportunity to confirm Federal Labor Relations Authority member Susan Grundmann, Merit Systems Protection Board member Raymond Limon, National Mediation Board member Linda Puchala and Sharon Bradford Franklin for another term at the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. Schumer could also grease the skids for Biden to keep all of these regulators in their roles in one fell swoop by gaveling the Senate into recess and allowing Biden to recess appoint each official. The RDP also highlighted Federal Communications Chair Jessica Rosenworcel as a high-profile regulator to be re-confirmed, though she has previously announced that she would be stepping down on January 20, when Trump is inaugurated.
One plank of the far-right authoritarian Project 2025 playbook is paving the way for Trump to pack federal agencies full of MAGA loyalists. Even though Trump distanced himself from Project 2025 on the campaign trail, the president-elect has already nominated several of its authors to influential Cabinet positions. Keeping these regulators in their roles would close the door on Trump replacing them with far-right allies after his inauguration.
READ MORE: Here are 5 Project 2025 authors Trump has already nominated for his Cabinet
