Chairman Gensler’s Statements of Support on Five Dodd-Frank Final Rules

Enhancing the Commission’s ability to protect against manipulation

I support the final rulemaking to enhance the Commission’s ability to protect against manipulation. Effective regulation requires an effective enforcement program. The Dodd-Frank Act enhances the Commission's enforcement authorities in the futures markets and expands them to the swaps markets. This rule implements new Dodd-Frank authorities to police against fraud and fraud-based manipulative schemes, based upon similar authority that the Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Federal Trade Commission have for securities and certain energy commodities.

In the past, the CFTC had the ability to prosecute manipulation, but to prevail, it had to prove the specific intent of the accused to create an artificial price. Under the new law and one of the rules before us today, the Commission's anti-manipulation reach is extended to prohibit the reckless use of fraud-based manipulative schemes. This closes a significant gap, as it will broaden the types of cases we can pursue and improve the chances of prevailing over wrongdoers.

The rule also implements the Dodd-Frank Act’s price-based manipulation authority to police against corners and squeezes. These new authorities expand the CFTC’s arsenal of enforcement tools and strengthen the Commission’s ability to effectively deal with threats to market integrity. We will use these tools to be a more effective cop on the beat, to promote market integrity and to protect market participants.

I thank Senator Maria Cantwell for her work to secure this important authority for the CFTC. As Senator Cantwell explained in proposing that this authority be included in the Commodity Exchange Act, “It is a strong and clear legal standard that allows regulators to successfully go after reckless and manipulative behavior.”

Large trader reporting for swaps on physical commodities

I support the final rulemaking to establish large trader reporting for physical commodity swaps. This is a significant rulemaking that, for the first time, enables the CFTC to receive data from large traders in the commodity swaps markets.

The American public has benefited for decades by the Commission’s ability to gather large trader data in the futures market and use that data to police the markets. Today’s large trader reporting rulemaking establishes that clearinghouses and swap dealers will have to report to the CFTC about the swaps activities of large traders in the physical swaps markets.

Over time, as a result of the Dodd-Frank Act, the markets will benefit from swap data repositories. Today’s rulemaking will enable the Commission to gather important swaps data until there are robust, well-regulated swap data repositories. This data will be useful for the Commission to monitor and police the markets, including establishing and enforcing position limits.

Definition of “agricultural commodity”

I support the final rulemaking that defines the term, “agricultural commodity.” The Dodd-Frank Act requires that agricultural commodities be defined. In a separate rulemaking, the Commission will determine the requirements that apply to swaps on agricultural commodities.

Preventing certain business affiliate marketing and establishing other consumer information protections under the Fair Credit Reporting Act

I support the final rulemaking to extend to customers of CFTC-regulated entities protections preventing certain business affiliated marketing and establishing other consumer information protections under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The rulemaking protects consumers by providing privacy protections to nonpublic consumer information held by entities that are subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission. The final rulemaking provides customers of CFTC-regulated entities with the same privacy protections now enjoyed by the customers of entities regulated by other federal agencies.

The rulemaking has two important features. First, it allows customers to prohibit Commission-regulated entities from using certain consumer information obtained from an affiliate to make solicitations to that customer for marketing purposes. This will be done by means of a customer opt out. Second, it requires Commission-regulated entities to develop and implement a written program and procedures for the proper disposal of consumer information. The rulemaking will help prevent the unauthorized use and disclosure of nonpublic, consumer information.

Expanding scope of privacy protections for consumer financial information under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act

I support the final rulemaking to expand the scope of privacy protections for consumer financial information under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. The rulemaking expands the scope of the Commission’s existing privacy protections afforded to consumers’ information – under the Commission’s Part 160 rules – to swap dealers and major swap participants.

Last Updated: July 7, 2011