Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) delivered astern message to President-elect Donald Trump today—“Do not tellRichard Cordray he's fired.”

Schumer joined Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Elizabeth Warren(D-Mass.) on a conference call with reporters to defend theembattled CFPB director.

Several Republicans have called on Cordray's removal as Trump takes office.

And last week, Trump met with former Rep. Randy Neugebauer(R-Texas), who reportedly is under consideration as a possibleCordray replacement.

Schumer said Neugebauer, a longtime critic of the CFPB, wouldnot be acceptable as a replacement. He contended that as chairmanof the House Financial Institutions subcommittee, Neugebauer was adefender of the payday loan industry.

“That's like putting the biggest arsonist in the firehouse,” hesaid.

Warren said the CFPB is working on rules governing arbitrationagreements, payday loans and debt collection. She accusedbusinesses involved with those activities of actively lobbying forCordray's removal.

The senators said that converting the agency into a five-membercommission would not be acceptable to Democrats.

Two Republican Sens.—Ben Hasse of Nebraska and Mike Lee ofUtah—have called on Trump to fire Cordray. However, SenateBanking Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Id.) declined to support thateffort, simply saying that Cordray should quit so Trump can appointhis own director.

To make matters even more uncertain, Trump's ability to simplyfire Cordray is hung up in federal court.

Currently, Cordray may only be fired for cause, Warren said,adding that no federal agency head has been removed for cause formore than a century.

A panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District ofColumbia ruled that the structure of the agency is unconstitutionalsince it is governed by a single director who can only be removedfor cause. The panel said that the president has the power to firethe director for any reason, but has stayed its order.

The ruling came in a case in which PHH, a mortgage lender, wasthe subject of $109 million penalty from the CFPB. A panel ofappellate court judges voided that penalty and sent the case backto a lower court for review.

The CFPB and the Obama Administration have asked that the fullD.C. Circuit Court of Appeals consider the case.

And last week, the appellate court gave PHH until Jan. 27 tofile a supplemental brief—effectively ensuring that there will notbe a ruling before Trump takes office.

Brown said that Trump voters supported the President-electbecause they believe the financial system is unfair.

“The people who voted for Trump believe the system was rigged,”he said, adding that Trump should support Cordray who, he added,has been fighting that system.