The US Supreme Court on Monday began hearing the case Trump v Slaughter, which questions if President Trump had the power to fire a member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Rebecca Kelly Slaughter was removed by Trump in March for being "inconsistent with [the] Administration's priorities." However, a law states that FTC commissioners can only be fired for "inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office." Slaughter sued Trump, and a lower court ruled her firing illegal. The Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court, which temporarily allowed her firing in a 6-3 decision. Trump says the president should control federal agencies fully, even those created to be independent. The FTC was set up in 1914 to protect consumers and competition. It limits presidents from firing commissioners without cause and restricts partisan majority on the five-member commission. Slaughter was appointed by Trump in 2018 and reappointed by Biden. Similar rules protect other independent agencies like the National Labor Relations Board. The issue echoes a 1935 Supreme Court case, Humphrey's Executor, which confirmed agency independence from presidents. The Supreme Court will also hear a case about Trump's power to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.