Stock Trading Ban for Members of Congress
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, it is pretty clear to me, while it may not always come across your television, radio, or cell phone, I believe that the overwhelming majority of Members of Congress are good and decent people. Whether we agree on everything is not factored in on what I just said.
Unfortunately, as polls continue to indicate, the American people don't believe that that is the way it is. Congress right now is about as popular as a soiled baby's diaper, and we are pushing it down further by failing to hold ourselves accountable.
It is absolutely ridiculous that Members of Congress can sit in a committee hearing room or get some information by just moving around this city and then come in here and vote on something that would enrich them.
This is wrong, and one of the reasons that you are not going to find anybody else coming in here taking an opposite position is because they are ashamed. If they are ashamed that means they know they are wrong. If they know they are wrong, they ought to support this legislation or tell the public I believe in enriching myself and I am not going to support it.
Now, I represent a place that sometimes is referred to as ``Chiefs Kingdom.'' I know some of you are probably offended because we win all the time, but in the recent years, we are accustomed to seeing Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and Chris Jones lead one of the greatest teams in history. They won three championships overall, two in the last 3 years. They can pass. They can run. They can kick. They can play defense, and they are not too shabby at their kicking game.
But there is one thing they cannot do, one thing that they cannot do even as a Super Bowl champ: They cannot bet on football. They cannot play football and then bet on who is going to win. They can, but then they will get kicked out of the league.
That makes no sense. They could fall down. They could miss a pass on purpose. There are all kinds of things they could do that are wrong.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate very much the opportunity to be just a tiny voice in what is going on because this is right and not doing it is wrong.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source