WASHINGTON, March 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate late on

Thursday confirmed by voice vote two nominees to fill Republican

slots at the Federal Trade Commission.

President Joe Biden in July nominated Virginia Solicitor

General Andrew Ferguson and Utah Solicitor General Melissa

Holyoak to the five-member FTC.

The two Republicans will not change the balance of power at

the FTC, which enforces antitrust law and rules against

deceptive advertising, and currently has a Democratic chair,

Lina Khan, and two Democratic commissioners.

The Senate also on Thursday approved a new term for

Democratic FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter. The FTC has been

without a Republican commissioner for nearly a year.

Under the Biden administration, the FTC has taken a

tougher stand against mergers it finds may lead to higher prices

for consumers or stunt innovation.

Last month, the FTC sued supermarket chain to block Kroger's ( KR )

$24.6 billion deal to buy smaller rival Albertsons ( ACI )

, saying it would boost grocery prices for millions of

Americans.

In September, the FTC filed a long-awaited antitrust lawsuit

against Amazon, accusing the online retailer of operating an

illegal monopoly, in part by fighting efforts by sellers on its

online marketplace to offer products more cheaply on other

platforms. Trial is set for October 2026.

In January, Amazon and robot vacuum maker iRobot

ended their plans to merge in the face of opposition from EU

antitrust regulators and the FTC.

Ferguson was chief counsel to U.S. Senate Republican Leader

Mitch McConnell from 2019 until 2021. He has also worked for

Senators Lindsey Graham and Chuck Grassley.

Holyoak has previously worked as an associate at the law

firm O'Melveny & Myers LLP, and at Hamilton Lincoln Law

Institute, which focuses on fighting class action lawsuits and

aggressive regulation, as well as at the Competitive Enterprise

Institute and the Center for Class Action Fairness.