Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan outlined the FTC’s budget request for fiscal year 2024 to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government late last month.

“The FTC is on the front lines of some of the most pressing challenges Americans face," Khan said in her opening statement to the subcommittee on April 27. "Ensuring that we can fully execute on the mandate that Congress has given us requires a greater commitment of resources."

In her testimony, Khan said that the FTC’s role is to tackle unfair or deceptive practices and root out unfair competition methods that can crush entrepreneurs and stifle innovation. The FTC holds to its commitment to ensuring that its funding from Congress gets used effectively, Khan said.

The Commission wants $590 million and 1,690 full-time employees in FY2024, an increase of $160 million and 310 employees from FY2023, according to an FTC press release. The additional funds and employees would help meet growing demands on the FTC, Khan said.

Despite significant hurdles, she said in her opening statement that the agency has accomplished a great deal over the past year, and returned $497 million to consumers and the U.S. Treasury General Fund. The FTC used a range of authorities for the first time, including the Opioid Addiction Recovery Fraud Prevention Act and the Health Breach Notification Rule.

Additionally, the FTC is pursuing rulemaking proceedings to address unwanted charges made by companies, including junk fees and subscription cancellations, according to her statement. The FTC is also challenging major transactions and anticompetitive practices, partnering with states attorneys general to take action against agrichemical companies Syngenta and Corteva for “pay to block” schemes.

“We put the resources Congress gives us to take on some of the most pressing challenges that Americans face in our economy,” Khan said at the hearing.