A Senate committee advanced a number of President Donald Trump’s finance and transportation picks Thursday, including a Securities and Exchange Commission nominee who has vowed to reject protections for climate-conscious investing.
Paul Atkins, who would chair the financial regulator, cleared the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Development Committee in a 13-11 party-line vote.
Atkins, a former SEC commissioner-turned-consultant, spoke against the injection of environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics into investing during his confirmation hearing, saying he hopes to “get politics out of the financial markets.”
Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said that under Atkins’ leadership, “the SEC will return to its core mission and will ensure our markets remain the envy of the world.”
