Ed Markey: “I am pleased to rise and speak in support of H.R. 3005, The Securities Amendments of 1996. Let me begin by…”

“I am pleased to rise and speak in support of H.R. 3005, The Securities Amendments of 1996. Let me begin by congratulating the distinguished gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Bliley], the chairman of the Committee on Commerce, and his counterpart, the distinguished gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Dingell], the senior Member of the House and the ranking Democrat on the committee. Both directed that we put partisanship aside so that we could work on the three critically important public policy issues that underlie the legislation: the promotion of capital formation, the advancement of efficient markets, and the maintenance of the highest possible standards of investor protection. Their guidance helped us overcome numerous obstacles, any one of which could easily have upset the delicate compromises that brought us to the House floor today. Even though virtually everyone agrees that the policy objectives of titles I and II of The Securities Amendments of 1996 are extraordinarily important, until March of this year few thought it possible that we could overcome the deep differences as to how we could in fact achieve them.”