I am pleased to see the release of the Request for Comment on the Impact of Affiliations Between Certain CFTC-Regulated Entities (Request for Comment).  This Request for Comment is an important initial step in addressing concerns within the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) related to common ownership and control of certain regulated entities.  I look forward to hearing from the public and stakeholders regarding their concerns, ideas, and suggestions.

The questions proposed in this Request for Comment are rooted in the core principles set out in the Commodity Exchange Act and our regulations implementing that statutory framework, which have served our markets and the public well for decades.  However, it is incumbent upon the CFTC to consider developments in the markets we regulate, whether those developments necessitate any changes to our regulations, and if so, what those changes should be.  This Request for Comment provides the public an opportunity to inform and shape how the CFTC will manage common ownership and control of regulated entities in our markets going forward.

I am truly grateful for the time and effort commenters commit to offering their insights on CFTC regulations.  The comment letters I have read for recent rulemaking proposals and other actions by the CFTC greatly assist me in doing my job and directly impact my thinking and decision-making.  Obtaining public input is invaluable to our job as regulators, and is the most important step in the regulatory process as we work to craft rules that are fair, transparent, workable, and appropriately tailored to the risk presented.

The Request for Comment we are releasing today is a combined effort of staff from the Division of Clearing and Risk, the Division of Market Oversight, and the Market Participants Division.  Working across divisions adds time and complexity to the task of creating and releasing a document like this Request for Comment, but I believe a holistic review of this topic is imperative.  I am very grateful to our staff for their collaborative efforts.

I hope that we have robust participation in this Request for Comment to ensure whatever steps we may take as regulators are based on information reflecting the views of all stakeholders and the general public.