Senate Resolution 1 - Introduced PAG LIN SENATE RESOLUTION NO. BY PETERSEN 1 1 A Resolution urging the United States Congress and the 1 2 President of the United States to enact legislation 1 3 that would reinstate the separation of commercial 1 4 and investment banking functions previously in 1 5 effect under the federal Glass=Steagall Act. 1 6 WHEREAS, an effective money and banking system is 1 7 essential to the functioning of the United States 1 8 economy; and 1 9 WHEREAS, such a system must function in the public 1 10 interest without any bias; and 1 11 WHEREAS, since 1933, the federal Banking Act, also 1 12 referred to as the Glass=Steagall Act, protected the 1 13 public interest in matters dealing with the regulation 1 14 of commercial and investment banking, in addition to 1 15 insurance companies and securities; and 1 16 WHEREAS, the Glass=Steagall Act was repealed 1 17 in 1999, partially contributing to the greatest 1 18 speculative bubble and worldwide recession since the 1 19 Great Depression of 1933; and 1 20 WHEREAS, the worldwide recession has left millions 1 21 of homes in foreclosure and caused the loss of millions 1 22 of jobs in the United States; and 1 23 WHEREAS, the worldwide recession has put severe 1 24 financial strain on states, counties, and cities, 1 25 exacerbating unemployment and the loss of public 1 26 services; and 1 27 WHEREAS, the United States Congress has been making 1 28 efforts with bipartisan support to reinstate the 2 1 protections of the Glass=Steagall Act; and 2 2 WHEREAS, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur introduced H.R. 2 3 381, known as the Return to Prudent Banking Act of 2 4 2015, and Senator Elizabeth Warren introduced S. 1709, 2 5 known as the 21st Century Glass=Steagall Act of 2015, 2 6 that would reinstate the separation between commercial 2 7 banking and the securities business in the manner 2 8 provided in the Glass=Steagall Act; and 2 9 WHEREAS, resolutions demanding action to reinstate 2 10 the protections of the Glass=Steagall Act have been 2 11 introduced in many states since 2013; and 2 12 WHEREAS, reinstatement of the protections of the 2 13 Glass=Steagall Act has support from national labor 2 14 organizations, economic and business leaders, and 2 15 newspaper publications; NOW THEREFORE, 2 16 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Iowa Senate 2 17 urges the United States Congress and the President 2 18 of the United States to enact legislation that would 2 19 reinstate the separation of commercial and investment 2 20 banking functions in effect under the Glass=Steagall 2 21 Act and that would prohibit commercial banks and 2 22 bank holding companies from investing in stocks, 2 23 underwriting securities, or investing in or acting 2 24 as guarantors to derivative transactions, in order 2 25 to prevent American taxpayers from being called upon 2 26 to fund hundreds of billions of dollars to bail out 2 27 financial institutions; and 2 28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of 2 29 the Senate shall transmit certified copies of this 2 30 Senate Resolution to the President of the United 3 1 States, the President of the United States Senate, the 3 2 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, 3 3 United States Senator Elizabeth Warren, United States 3 4 Representative Marcy Kaptur, and to the members of the 3 5 Iowa congressional delegation. LSB 1659XS (2) 87 gh/rn/rj