March 6, 2017
Dear Commissioner Piwowar,
Above all, we are human beings. We must do all we can to protect our fellow human beings, even if some slight inefficiency results. If a regulation designed to protect those who harvest minerals saves lives, it could hardly be called "onerous." Therefore, I request that you preserve the Conflict Minerals Rule.
The Conflict Minerals Rule has made it easier for me to assess which companies are taking steps to ensure their products are not linked to this decades-long conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is the overriding consideration.
Please keep the Conflict Minerals Rule fully intact and work with your fellow SEC commissioners to enforce the Rule going forward.