[20210628]LSB10614_最高法院：联邦住房金融机构的结构违反宪法.pdf

CRS Legal Sidebar Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Legal SidebarLegal Sidebari i Supreme Court: Structure of Federal Housing Finance Agency Violates Constitution June 28, 2021 On June 23, the Supreme Court in Collins v. Yellen ruled 7-2 that the structure of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) violates the Constitutions separation of powers. The FHFA is headed by a single Director who, under the statute establishing the agency, can only be removed by the President for cause, rather than at will. The single-headed structure of the FHFA contrasts with the multimember structure of most other agencies headed by officials that are similarly insulated from presidential control through for-cause removal protections. The Courts ruling, which comes on the heels of a decision last year invalidating the similarly structured Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), will have important implications for Congresss ability to configure agencies in the executive branch with relative independence from the President. The decision also appears to have had immediate practical effect, as President Biden removed the FHFA Director from office the next day. Background The dispute i