SEC Under Scrutiny: Congress To Review Regulatory Overreach

For several months, the SEC has been under fire for its actions. It was unsuccessful in preventing the FTX from collapsing and saving investors millions of dollars. It has a long-running lawsuit against Ripple and a recently concluded lawsuit against LBRY. 

U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler has been criticized by Minnesota Senator Tom Emmer for his flawed “crypto information-gathering efforts,” and he has been instructed to testify before Congress to explain the cost of his “regulatory failures.” Emmer stated that “we now know Gensler’s crypto information-gathering efforts were ineffective,” citing the demise of the Terra ecosystem as well as the crypto platforms Celsius, Voyager, and FTX. 

Is the SEC running without Congress’ authorization? 

According to Eleanor Terrett, a Fox Business Journalist, the US SEC will face significant scrutiny from Congress in the coming months. According to the US Financial Services Committee, the commission has not been reauthorized since 2015.

During the Reauthorisation process, Congress is required to review and make changes to a government agency, according to orders. This is done to ensure that the agency is set up to run efficiently while still accomplishing its stated goal. Congress ensures that the agency receives adequate funding from the government to run its operations. The US SEC, on the other hand, is said to have received more than $2 billion in funding for fiscal year 2023. Meanwhile, the commission’s authority expired in 2015.

Gensler to testify

This means that Gary Gensler, the SEC’s chair, will have to fight the Financial Services Committee investigation. Gensler will have to demonstrate that the commission is operating properly and that the government funding is justified.

The latest action by the Financial Services Committee to reauthorize the commission is an early indication of the GOP’s plan to significantly rein in the agency. The committee will keep an eye on all aspects of the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s operations, activities, and other initiatives. This will be done to ensure that the agency is carrying out its mission of protecting investors.

To conclude 

The community is shocked that the SEC has taken such actions without being reauthorized. Some believe that the action taken against the SEC is well deserved. The SEC should reconsider its regulatory approach.