Ban Congressional Stock Trading to Restore Public Trust

Reports of 'eye-popping' stock gains by members of Congress, regardless of party affiliation, have highlighted a deep problem in our democracy. When lawmakers are allowed to trade individual stocks, they can exploit privileged information and influence legislation for personal gain. This undermines the credibility of our institutions and fosters widespread mistrust among the public.

As Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and others have noted, the American people deserve better. Members of Congress should be focused on serving their constituents, not enriching themselves. The current system creates an unacceptable appearance—and reality—of corruption. If any private citizen engaged in similar trading behavior, they would face investigation and prosecution. Why should our elected officials be above the rules?

Multiple bills have been introduced to address this issue, but none have gone far enough. We call on Congress to enact a robust, enforceable ban on individual stock trading by all members of Congress and their immediate families. Only by eliminating these conflicts of interest can we begin to restore faith in our democracy.