Jan. 23, 2020
Vanessa A. Countryman, Secretary Securities and Exchange Commission 100 F Street, NE Washington, DC 20549-0609 Re: File Number S7-22-19 December 23, 2019 Dear Secretary Countryman, I am retired and drawing from the retirement funds that I worked for years to build and I dislike the idea that someone’s political opinions impact the stability of these investments. Yet I understand that is basically how proxy advisory firms run, giving shareholder vote recommendations in accordance with an ideological agenda without acknowledgement of the investors who’s money is at stake. The substance of the agenda is not important, and it’s possible that I and other retirees may agree with at least portions of these social agendas. But my savings is not the appropriate tools to use to make such statements. Those funds are too important to our everyday living to allow anyone to take chances with them and not say something. It is my hope that the Securities and Exchange Commission’s proposed rules will provide clarifications about the role of proxy advisory firms ensuring they uphold their fiduciary responsibility and provide full transparency of their recommendations. Thank you, Colleen Morse