Both Clinton and Sanders have opportunity to strengthen their claim to the best Wall Street reform plan, by saying they will appoint people to key posts who will challenge Wall Street power
Wall Street Reform – Progressive Coalition Asks Candidates For Tough-On-Wall-Street “Short List” For Treasury Secretary, AG, SEC Chair
Today, a coalition of progressive and Wall Street reform organizations sent a letter to the campaigns of Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and the four Republican candidates urging them to give specific examples of names they would consider for roles overseeing Wall Street, like Treasury Secretary, Attorney General, and SEC Chair.
With the influence of Wall Street remaining a central theme in the Democratic primary, the groups applauded Clinton and Sanders’s efforts to release strong Wall Street reform plans, but noted Senator Elizabeth Warren’s frequent refrain: “personnel is policy.”
The organizations leading the Presidential Appointments Matter coalition include Rootstrikers, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Revolving Door Project, and Public Citizen’s Congress Watch. The campaign has also earned supportive statements from Americans For Financial Reform and Better Markets.
The letter states: “The 2016 presidential primaries have featured a healthy competition between candidates over whose plan for Wall Street reform is strongest.
“… There has been rising public interest in the question of presidential appointments, reflected in attention from the press and high profile individuals. All share the sense that committing to appoint strong personnel is a way for candidates to demonstrate their seriousness about Wall Street reform.
“… We’re eager to hear some specific examples of the type of candidate you would consider for important economic policymaking roles like Treasury Secretary, Attorney General, and SEC Chair and the criteria you would use to make that choice.”
The groups note press coverage of the coalition’s launch in the Washington Post and the continued press attention to the issue of presidential appointments, such as by Meet The Press’s Chuck Todd, who recently pressed Secretary Clinton on whether she could appoint a Treasury Secretary drawn from outside of Wall Street.
Several of the participating groups are sending their members to a joint petition urging the presidential candidates to release a “short list” of candidates for these top economic roles. The petition can be viewed at PresidentialAppointmentsMatter.com.
About Rootstrikers
Rootstrikers is a new generation of activists taking a stand against the corrupting influence of money in politics and Wall Street’s attempts to rig the game against everyday Americans. We are a project of Demand Progress, led by executive director David Segal.
