One person is now a quorum at the SEC

Commenters focused on an SEC rule change that alters quorum language in 17 CFR 200.41 so that when the number of commissioners in office - or the number remaining after disqualification on a matter - is one or two, that number may constitute a quorum. Many commenters argued this is more than a technical tweak: they warned it enables a president to control SEC outcomes by installing a single compliant commissioner and relying on recent Supreme Court decisions that weakened agency independence and firing protections. Critics portrayed the move as a naked power play that formalizes partisan control when seats are left vacant, compared it to similar risks at the FCC, and warned it could be used to reshape regulation and media licensing; some added that the administration bypassed normal APA rulemaking procedures.

Other commenters defended or downplayed the change as minor or consistent with existing language, while acknowledging the broader political context makes it dangerous to opponents. Several noted that Congress could legislate a fix but has chosen not to, and that litigation is likely if the rule is weaponized. Views diverged mainly on whether the amendment is a harmless procedural clarification or an overt power grab that accelerates the erosion of independent regulatory norms.