Political Quotes

“This amendment would require both the Chairman of the SEC and all of its Commissioners to undergo a comprehensive, professional ethics training in order to ensure that all SEC regulations and actions are free from conflicts of interest that may arise from their past or future employment or by legal representation of regulated entities. This training into all of the ethical standards that were just invoked by my distinguished colleague from Michigan is critical to guard against regulatory capture and to protect the public interest. The whole challenge of a republic is how to get legislators and other public officers, who are agents of the people, to serve the common good rather than their own, private interests. In the cost-benefit terms of this legislation, you would call this the ``agency problem.'' Our Constitution, with everything from the separation of powers to the Emoluments Clause, to the Title of Nobility Clause is designed to safeguard the public interest and to reduce the prospects for mischief, corruption, and self-dealing by people in government. Providing mandatory ethics training is a simple way to remind all of us in public life whom we really work for--the American people. Requiring employees to undergo basic ethics training is not unusual. In fact, every congressional staffer who works in this body is required to undergo ethics training in his or her first 60 days of employment here.…”