Stock Trading Ban for Members of Congress

Floor Speech

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Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, when I first started running for Congress a number of years ago, my wife and I sold all of our individual stocks, and I made a commitment that if I were elected, I wouldn't trade individual stocks while in office because being a Representative isn't just a title; it is a responsibility that we all have, and that responsibility is to serve the people and not our own financial interests.

Let's face it: Too many Americans have lost faith in government. They wonder whether their elected officials are truly working for them. We can't allow that doubt to grow. We have the power to help fix it.

That is why I have long supported legislation to ban Members of Congress from trading individual stocks, and I am encouraged that we are working together in a bipartisan way to get this done.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Magaziner, Representative Roy, and others who have been working together for some time on this. We have a lot of momentum. Today, as was said, Speaker Johnson said that he supports a stock trading ban. Leader Jeffries supports a stock trading ban. President Trump has said that he would sign a stock trading ban into the law.

Again, this is not a partisan issue. Poll after poll shows overwhelming support. Approximately 80 percent of Americans want Congress to pass a ban on Members stock trading. They want to know that their Representatives are here to serve the public, not to profit from their positions.

Recent events have only made this more urgent. Last month, markets moved sharply after the reversal of tariffs that had been threatened. Just hours before that announcement, there were posts on social media. I don't need to recount all of that now, and we don't know exactly who had advance notice of that decision or whether anybody acted on it, but that is exactly the problem.

Americans should never ever have to wonder if public officials are using any sort of inside knowledge to enrich themselves. That is why we need to act now. We need a law that says, clearly and without exception, if you serve in Congress, you cannot trade individual stocks. No more gray areas. No more questions; just clear rules that restore trust and put the public interest first. We have the support. We have the momentum, and we have a responsibility to get this done.

Speaker Johnson, please work with us. Allow a vote on a stock trading ban. Let's begin the long process to restore confidence in this body. The time to act is now.

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