House Approves Measure to Curb Congressional Stock Trading Activities
WHO:
CNN - The bill was led by Bryan Steil, the GOP chairman of the House Administration Committee.
CNN - Democratic Rep. Seth Magaziner co-led a bipartisan bill to ban stock trading that has stalled.
CNN - GOP Rep. Chip Roy has pushed for a ban on lawmaker stock trading for years.
CNN - Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley voted with Democrats to advance a bill to ban lawmakers from stock trading.
CBS News Politics - The legislation is referred to as the Stop Insider Trading Act.
WHAT:
CNN - The House bill is described as the closest Congress has come to tightening stock trading rules since the STOCK Act was passed in 2012.
AP News - The bill allows lawmakers to keep stocks they already own but requires public notice at least seven days before selling them.
ABC News - The bill would also mandate that voters provide photo identification "as a condition of casting a ballot."
AP News - President Trump disclosed that he made more than 21,000 trades on his behalf last year, many involving companies with business before, or regulated by, his administration.
AP News - The House approved legislation that would bar members of Congress from purchasing individual stocks, with a vote of 232-198.
AP News - The bill is known as the Stop Insider Trading Act and is described as the most significant congressional action yet to restrict stock trades by members of Congress.
AP News - The bill allows lawmakers to keep stocks they already own but requires public notice at least seven days before selling them.
AP News - The legislation does not extend to the president or vice president, who are exempt from the trading ban.
AP News - President Trump disclosed that he made more than 3,600 buy and sell orders in the first quarter of the year, many involving companies whose profits have been directly impacted by his decisions as head of the government.
ABC News - The bill mandates that voters provide photo identification "as a condition of casting a ballot."
ABC News - The bill is described as the first congressional stock trading ban to receive a vote on the floor of the House.
ABC News - Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez stated that the bill does not prohibit sales of stocks already held by members of Congress.
CNN - The House vote on the bill included only 13 Democrats supporting it alongside Republicans.
CNN - The legislation adds new restrictions on a highly controversial practice of lawmakers trading stocks.
CNN - A separate voter ID measure that would add new restrictions on mail-in voting was added to the bill.
CNN - The bill is described as the closest Congress has come to tightening stock trading rules since the STOCK Act was passed in 2012.
CNN - The House passed a bill to restrict lawmakers from trading stocks with a vote of 232 to 198.
CNN - The measure prohibits lawmakers, their spouses, and dependent children from buying new stocks of publicly traded companies while serving in Congress.
CNN - Lawmakers can still buy private stocks, keep stocks they already owned prior to entering Congress, and maintain certain investment funds.
CNN - Selling stock would require a seven-to-14-day advance notice.
CNN - Violating the new rules would result in a fee of $2,000 or 10% of the value of the transaction, whichever is greater, and forfeiture of the profit from the trade.
WHERE:
CNN - The vote took place in the House of Representatives.
WHEN:
CNN - The bill was passed on a Wednesday.
WHY:
AP News - Critics argue the legislation falls short of a true stock trading ban because it allows lawmakers to keep stocks they already own and continue selling them.
ABC News - Rep. Joe Morelle described the bill as a "sham" for allowing members of Congress to continue owning and trading stocks.
ABC News - Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez criticized the bill as a "bait-and-switch" tactic that undermines mail-in voting.
AP News - Critics argue the legislation falls short of a true stock trading ban because it allows lawmakers to keep stocks they already own and continue selling them.
AP News - The voter identification provision was described as a "poison pill" designed to sink the legislation by Rep. Joe Morelle.
ABC News - Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez criticized the bill as a "bait-and-switch" tactic that undermines mail-in voting.
ABC News - Rep. Joe Morelle described the bill as a "sham" for allowing members of Congress to continue owning and trading stocks.
CNN - Democratic Rep. Seth Magaziner criticized the bill for not going far enough and linked it to a "voter suppression bill."
CNN - GOP Rep. Chip Roy stated that the vote was “a major step toward holding members accountable and restoring trust in government.”
CNN - Steil stated that the legislation “is critical to restoring public trust in this institution.”
CNN - Chip Roy emphasized that “serving in Congress should never be a path to personal profit.”
HOW:
AP News - The legislation does not extend to the president or vice president, who are exempt from the trading ban.
CBS News Politics - The legislation is referred to as the Stop Insider Trading Act, which prohibits members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from purchasing publicly traded stocks.
CNN - The bill passed after a partisan dispute that resulted in a narrower proposal that stops short of an outright ban.
CNN - The bill was passed after a partisan dispute that resulted in a narrower proposal that stops short of an outright ban.
CNN - A separate voter ID measure was added to the bill, complicating its passage.
(UPDATED July 23, 2026 05:52 UTC)
A new House bill is being hailed as the closest Congress has come to tightening stock trading rules since the STOCK Act was passed in 2012, allowing lawmakers to keep stocks they already own but requiring public notice at least seven days before selling them. Critics, including Rep. Joe Morelle and Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, argue that the legislation is insufficient as it permits Congress members to continue trading stocks, with Ocasio-Cortez calling it a "bait-and-switch" tactic that undermines mail-in voting. Notably, President Trump disclosed that he made over 21,000 trades last year, many involving companies regulated by his administration, while the bill does not extend to the president or vice president, who remain exempt from the trading ban.
--
(UPDATED July 23, 2026 02:51 UTC)
The House has approved the Stop Insider Trading Act, which aims to bar members of Congress from purchasing individual stocks, with a vote of 232 to 198. While the bill allows lawmakers to retain stocks they already own, it mandates public notice at least seven days before any sales, though it does not apply to the president or vice president. Critics, including Rep. Joe Morelle, argue that the legislation is inadequate as it permits lawmakers to continue selling their existing stocks, labeling a voter identification provision as a "poison pill" intended to undermine the bill.
--
(UPDATED July 23, 2026 01:27 UTC)
A new bill known as the Stop Insider Trading Act has been introduced, which prohibits members of Congress, along with their spouses and dependent children, from purchasing publicly traded stocks. The legislation also mandates that voters provide photo identification as a condition for casting a ballot, but critics like Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez have labeled it a "bait-and-switch" tactic that undermines mail-in voting. Additionally, Rep. Joe Morelle has described the bill as a "sham," pointing out that it allows members of Congress to continue owning and trading stocks they already hold.
--
(UPDATED July 22, 2026 23:21 UTC)
The House has passed a bill that introduces new restrictions on the controversial practice of lawmakers trading stocks, with only 13 Democrats joining Republicans in support. This legislation, described as the closest Congress has come to tightening stock trading rules since the STOCK Act was enacted in 2012, also includes a separate voter ID measure that imposes new restrictions on mail-in voting. While GOP Rep. Chip Roy hailed the vote as a significant step toward accountability, Democratic Rep. Seth Magaziner criticized it for not going far enough and linked it to a "voter suppression bill."
--
(UPDATED July 22, 2026 22:24 UTC)
The House of Representatives has passed the Stop Insider Trading Act, which restricts lawmakers from trading stocks with a vote of 232 to 198. This legislation prohibits lawmakers, their spouses, and dependent children from purchasing new stocks of publicly traded companies while serving in Congress, although they can still hold private stocks and must provide advance notice of selling stock. GOP Chairman Bryan Steil emphasized the importance of this measure in restoring public trust, while Rep. Chip Roy highlighted that serving in Congress should not lead to personal profit.