THE DECISION was as unforeseen as a hot and humid Washington summer.(这一判决就像华盛顿炎热潮湿的夏天一样出乎意料。) On June 29th the Supreme Court, in Trump v Slaughter, struck down(推翻，否决) the congressionally imposed(国会强加的) for-cause removal protections(有因罢免保护) for commissioner(委员，专员)s of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)(美国联邦贸易委员会). Last September, the court had foreshadowed(预示) this when it granted the Trump administration’s request for an emergency motion(紧急动议) to bar an ousted commissioner(被罢免的委员) from resuming her duties(恢复职务).
这一判决就像华盛顿炎热潮湿的夏天一样出乎意料。6月29日，最高法院在Trump v Slaughter案中推翻了国会强加的、针对联邦贸易委员会（FTC）委员的有因罢免保护。去年9月，法院批准了特朗普政府的紧急动议，禁止一位被罢免的委员恢复职务，从而预示了这一结果。
Many commentators lament(哀悼，惋惜) the humbling(羞辱，挫败) of the FTC and the other so-called independent agencies(所谓的独立机构). They misread(误读) the constitution and the decision’s real-world effects(实际影响). The court was belatedly(延迟地) correcting its own error, and the independence of these agencies was more imagined than real(想象的而非真实的). Congress lacks constitutional power to restrict the president’s removal of officers(罢免官员) enforcing the law, and the “independent agencies” have not been meaningfully independent(真正独立) for decades.
许多评论者对FTC及其他所谓的独立机构受到屈辱感到惋惜。他们误读了宪法以及判决的实际影响。法院只是在迟迟纠正自身的错误，而这些机构的独立性更多是想象中的而非真实的。国会缺乏宪法权力来限制总统罢免执法官员，而“独立机构”几十年来也并未真正独立。
Trump v Slaughter arose because President Donald Trump did what he was most famous for(做了他最出名的事) before turning to politics(转向政治): he fired(解雇) people. In March 2025 Mr Trump removed Rebecca Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya, the Democratic commissioners of the FTC. The Federal Trade Commission Act purported to(声称) limit the president’s removal power to “inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office”, but Mr Trump had not alleged(指控), much less proven(更不用说证明了), any of those causes. Ms Slaughter sued in federal court and secured an order that in effect(实际上) reinstated(恢复职位) her. Mr Trump eventually secured relief(获得救济) from the Supreme Court, a stay(中止令) of the district court’s order in favour of Ms Slaughter.
Trump v Slaughter案源于唐纳德·特朗普总统做了他在步入政坛前最出名的事情：解雇人。2025年3月，特朗普罢免了FTC的民主党委员Rebecca Slaughter和Alvaro Bedoya。《联邦贸易委员会法》旨在将总统的罢免权限制在“效率低下、玩忽职守或职务行为不端”的情况，但特朗普既未指控、更未证明任何这些理由。Slaughter在联邦法院提起诉讼，并获得了一项实际上复职的命令。特朗普最终从最高法院获得了救济，即暂停地区法院支持Slaughter的命令。