A PYMNTS Company

FTC Chairman Highlights Fiscal Responsibility and Consumer Protection in House Testimony

By  |  May 18, 2025
FTC, price surveillance, retail prices

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson appeared before the House Appropriations Committee’s Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee today to outline the agency’s performance in Fiscal Year 2025 and priorities for Fiscal Year 2026.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    Subscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    According to a statement, Ferguson underscored the FTC’s commitment to delivering strong value to American taxpayers. He cited that in Fiscal Year 2024, the agency returned more than $333 million to consumers—a figure representing nearly two-thirds of its annual operating budget. This, he argued, demonstrated the FTC’s effectiveness in deploying resources to protect the public from fraud and maintain competitive markets.

    Per a statement, Ferguson also emphasized the FTC’s efforts to operate with increased efficiency in alignment with President Trump’s objective of reducing the size of the federal government. Recent cost-cutting measures included workforce reductions and other operational savings, all undertaken while maintaining the agency’s core focus on consumer protection and antitrust enforcement.

    Read more: Changing the Federal Trade Commission’s Course

    Despite the cutbacks, the testimony noted the continued importance of retaining sufficient personnel to ensure the FTC can meet its mission. According to the statement, the agency remains active on several consumer protection fronts—ranging from combating illegal telemarketing and fraud schemes aimed at older adults and servicemembers, to addressing deceptive billing, cancellation issues, and data privacy violations.

    On the competition front, the FTC is prioritizing action against anticompetitive behaviors, particularly those initiated by dominant market players whose practices have widespread impact. According to a statement, the agency is focused on identifying and challenging structural and behavioral practices that undermine fair competition across vital sectors of the economy.

    Source: FTC