Stock Trading Ban for Members of Congress
Floor Speech
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Ms. STANSBURY. Mr. Speaker, let me begin with a simple fact: No Member of Congress should be trading stocks. Period. None.
That is why I believe we must ban congressional stock trading and why I am proud to cosponsor this act here in Congress.
The American people deserve to know that their Members of Congress are working for them, not for stock portfolios; that their decisions, their policies, and their priorities are in the public interest and not the interest of private profit.
Let's be real, we have all seen it here, even over the last several weeks, as Members of this body have traded stocks while working on policies currently before Congress, possible insider trading in the midst of the President's trade wars. A President and a Speaker who both declared, it is a good time to buy while Members went out and did it: oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, Big Tech, and yes, AI.
Let me be clear: Not only is it wrong and immoral, it must be made illegal. We will be investigating anyone who engaged in insider trading, but banning stocks is only one piece of restoring faith in our public institutions, especially in a time when billionaires are buying elections, and Cabinet positions, and setting themselves up for sweetheart deals.
Let me also say this: We must get big money out of politics and get it out now. We have to end Citizens United, restore the power of the people, end gerrymandering, strengthen our ethics rules, and restore access to the ballot box. That means passing our For The People Act that was blocked multiple times in this Chamber, passing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and passing the Freedom to Vote Act.
This is not a partisan issue; this is an American issue about protecting our democracy, protecting our people, protecting our communities, and protecting our planet.
Mr. Speaker, let's do the right thing. Let's ban stock trading and restore our faith in American democracy.
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