House Lawmakers Propose Bipartisan Ban on Congressional Stock Trading

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced the Restore Trust in Congress Act, a bill that would ban members of Congress and their immediate family members from trading or owning individual stocks. The legislation consolidates previous proposals and requires lawmakers to divest individual stock holdings within 180 days of enactment, with newly elected members required to comply before taking office. It also imposes a 10% financial penalty and the forfeiture of profits for violations, while allowing investments in broadly held mutual funds. The bill aims to address ongoing concerns about conflicts of interest and insider trading by members who may use nonpublic information gained through their official duties. Support for the bill spans conservative and progressive members, including notable lawmakers such as Rep. Chip Roy, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, and it has backing from House leadership and President Trump. This renewed effort follows years of stalled attempts and reflects growing momentum to restore public trust in Congress by ending stock trading among its members.