Remarks of Chairman Paul S. Atkins

Thank you, Mr. President. I am honored by the trust and confidence that you have placed in me to lead the SEC. I must say: the Oval Office has never looked better. One could describe it as glistening – the touch of a confident President, leading with optimism toward an American Golden Age.

To my wife Sarah and our sons, Stewart, Peter, and Henry: Thank you for your steadfast love and support. I am grateful for all the sacrifices each of you have made to enable me to serve America.

A note about my family: Today would have been my late father’s 114th birthday – Colonel Atkins was a veteran of World War II and Korea. And, yesterday would have been my late mother’s birthday. It seems altogether fitting to honor them and the example that they set so that their son can stand here speaking to you today.

To my family, friends, and colleagues who have worked with me throughout my career and helped make my appointment by President Trump even possible: Thank you for your work and dedication. There are many who quietly serve the Nation in mostly unsung roles, and I continue to be the beneficiary of your professionalism and good judgement.

At the helm of the SEC, I can confidently say: It IS a new day. It is time for the SEC to end its waywardness and return to its core mission that Congress set for it: investor protection; fair, orderly, and efficient markets; and capital formation. I will work to protect investors from fraud, to keep politics out of how our securities laws and regulations are applied, and to advance clear rules of the road that encourage investment in our economy to the benefit of all Americans. A top priority of my chairmanship will be to provide a firm regulatory foundation for digital assets through a rational, coherent, and principled approach. We will work to ensure that the U.S. is the best and most secure place in the world to invest and do business.

Mr. President, again, thank you for your graciousness and extending such a warm welcome to my family and me today in this storied room. I look forward to working with you, with colleagues in your Administration, and with Congress to advance your agenda to bolster the economy and build on U.S. leadership of the global markets. Thank you very much.