Gary Gensler: “I thought at the time that there was a risk of correlation.”

Actually, sir, we follow the mandate. In 1996, Congress put in our statute that we had to do economic analysis, and we follow that.

I think that the Congress' wisdom was to have an agency to oversee disclosure-based markets where issuers are asking the public to buy and sell their securities.

And I just think that is part of our great democracy.

This extreme MAGA shutdown would cripple the SEC's ability to stop fraud, help businesses raise money, or finalize rules that are critical to investors.