washington u.s. consumer financial protection bureau already legal limbo october court decision could find power scale back president-elect donald trump republican-led congress accord members political party lobbyists lawyers may mean end many agency rule-making action enrage critics include proposal stop company block customers class action lawsuits another one limit payday lend creation cfpb authorize 2010 dodd-frank wall street reform law enact aftermath 2007-09 financial crisis agency begin operations 2011. agency protect consumers finance idea liberal democratic senator elizabeth warren massachusetts creation consider one democratic president barack obama top domestic policy achievements trump administration expect hostile agency currently formulate election spell bad news cfpb say alan kaplinsky head consumer financial service group law firm ballard spahr many republicans oppose agency creation say dislike structure believe overstep authority enforcement fragile thing birth controversy constant attack say consumer attorney deepak gupta work cfpb early days may survive way know administration single director lead rule-making enforcement dismiss cause furthermore agency fund u.s. federal reserve system mean dependent typical congressional appropriations process republican-led house representatives financial service committee september pass legislation without democratic vote would change name structure agency would create five-member commission govern republicans also push agency receive fund congress make accountable elect leaders proposals would greatly weaken power richard cordray agency original current director obama block republican efforts veto threats trump though directly address cfpb say want roll back part dodd-frank trump could want fire cordray first day presidency especially follow october rule three-judge federal appeal court panel find agency structure unconstitutional president able dismiss director rule put hold cfpb decide whether petition entire u.s. court appeal district columbia circuit review appeal rule u.s. supreme court agency nov. 25 decide trump administration could withdraw appeal let decision stand cordray appoint 2013 halfway five-year term bank industry think entire agency eliminate democrats support agency large presence senate warren obama first choice head agency promise democrats fight efforts defang even bankers want see stay richard hunt president consumer bankers association say group would fight maintain cfpb form consolidate consumer bank rule one regulator trump take office jan. 20. cordray could replace early 2017 say mark calabria economist libertarian cato institute think tank trump transition team already look cordray replacements say law allow president terminate director inefficiency malfeasance neglect duty leave room trump find cause regardless appeal court decide calabria add cordray set precedent enforcement case calabria critics call backdoor rule-making cordray leave cfpb vulnerable successor may want do hardwire rule-making calabria say cordray quit remove statute call deputy step job temporarily act deputy director david silberman also strong consumer advocate would likely continue carry current agenda say quyen truong partner washington law firm stroock stroock lavan truong assistant director deputy general counsel cfpb early year cfpb respond request comment cordray possible departure fate current rule-making action u.s. consumer financial agency could defang trump