The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) canceled its open board meeting slated for Thursday after the White House Wednesday fired Democrats Todd Harper and Tanya Otsuka from their seats on the board.
The firings, reported by industry trade publications, including the CU Daily (TheCUDaily.com), and since picked up by numerous news outlets, were confirmed by both Hoffman and Otsuka. The actions leave Republican Kyle Hauptman, the NCUA Board chairman, as the sole member of this independent federal agency’s governing body.
NCUA’s rules of board procedures require that any board action be approved by at least two board members, so the firings are expected to prevent any further board action.
The firings drew a sharp rebuke from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), ranking member on the Senate Banking Committee. “President Trump just fired two Board Members at the National Credit Union Administration in his continued attack on American consumers. This is the latest attempt by Trump to skirt the rule of law, undermine independent agencies, and illegally purge the government of those who work for the American people,” she said.
The NCUA changed its website information Wednesday to show it has canceled Thursday’s open board meetin. That meeting was to include two briefings, including one on the agency’s “voluntary separation agreement” programs that was widely expected to outline a plan for elimination a portion of the agency staff.
The meeting agenda was released last week amid reports that the NCUA had been visited by representatives from the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The Elon Musk-led group has been spearheading massive layoffs across the federal government, purportedly in an effort to reduce fraud and waste involving taxpayer dollars. Other reporting said DOGE representatives have also visited the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC).
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