Chopra is currently a fellow at the Consumer Federation of America
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Tuesday urged President Trump to nominate Indian American Rohit Chopra to serve on the Federal Trade Commission.
“The Federal Trade Commission should be led by people who put the interest of consumers above all else, and that’s what Rohit Chopra has done his entire life,” The Hill quoted Schumer’s statement.
Chopra, a consumer advocate and former Deputy of Education official, is currently a fellow at the Consumer Federation of America.
“Rohit Chopra is eminently qualified to serve on FTC & has been putting consumers’ interests first his entire career,”Schumer tweeted on Tuesday.
Rohit Chopra is eminently qualified to serve on FTC & has been putting consumers' interests first his entire career: https://t.co/COvuU99HwX
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) May 9, 2017
His nomination as commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, a Democratic opening under Trump administration, is expected to give the commission a strong stand in support of consumer protections.
“Whether it was fighting on behalf of students and borrowers with student loan issues at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or working to protect the finances of our nation’s veterans, Rohit has been a thoughtful and effective advocate for consumers,” Schumer said to Huffington Post.
Chopra, who has a BA degree from Harvard College and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, is widely recognized for his expertise in consumer financial services and economic issues facing young people.
He served as the Assistant Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and also appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury as the agency’s first Student Loan Ombudsman.
The FTC has five commissioner positions and only two of them are currently filled. The president tapped Republican Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen as the active chairwoman of the agency until the announcement of a permanent replacement.
Even though custom dictates president to take recommendations from opposition leaders, Chopra’s appointment to the FTC is not guaranteed, as the President needs to announce the name officially.