Key Highlights
- The White House nominated Nathan Anonick and Matthew Rowland as potential CFTC commissioners.
- The nominations include one Republican and one Democrat, an unusual move for the administration.
- The Senate Agriculture Committee has not yet scheduled a confirmation hearing.
White House Names Bipartisan CFTC Nominees
Alongside its announcement of two nominees for the Securities and Exchange Commission, the White House nominated Nathan Anonick and Matthew Rowland as potential commissioners of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The nominations include both a Republican and a Democrat: Anonick is a Republican staffer for the Senate Agriculture Committee, while Rowland previously served on Johnson’s CFTC staff.
The Senate Agriculture Committee must sign off on the new CFTC nominees, but it has not yet scheduled a hearing. Committee Chairman John Boozman “welcomes these nominations and looks forward to holding a hearing soon,” a spokesperson said in an email.
Democratic CFTC Nomination Marks Policy Shift
The decision to nominate a Democrat is unusual for the administration, which has otherwise sought to remove members of the opposition party from regulatory commissions and boards. Since the start of last year, the White House had allowed both the SEC and CFTC to operate with only Republican members: the SEC had two Republican members, while the CFTC had one, Chairman Mike Selig.
Regulatory nominees have traditionally been presented from both parties at the same time to make confirmation easier, giving each party a nominee to support. In this case, however, the specific seats assigned to the nominees would place the Democratic nominees in vacancies with the shortest remaining time on their current terms.
Why This Matters
The CFTC nominations could restore bipartisan representation to a regulatory commission that had been reduced to a single Republican member. The timing and structure of the nominations also reflect the traditional Senate confirmation strategy of putting forward candidates from both parties, although the Democratic nominees would serve in seats with relatively limited remaining terms. The next key step is a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who did the White House nominate for the CFTC?
The White House nominated Nathan Anonick, a Republican staffer for the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Matthew Rowland, who served on Johnson’s CFTC staff.
Has the Senate Agriculture Committee scheduled a hearing?
No. The committee has not yet scheduled a hearing, although Chairman John Boozman’s spokesperson said he welcomes the nominations and looks forward to holding a hearing soon.
Why are the nominations notable?
The nominations include both a Republican and a Democrat at a time when the administration had allowed the SEC and CFTC to have only Republican members. They also follow the traditional practice of presenting nominees from both parties to help ease confirmation.
