A group of 27 House lawmakers on Monday urged Nancy Pelosi and Kevin McCarthy to bring a bill banning members of Congress from trading stocks to the floor.
“There is no reason that members of Congress need to be allowed to trade stocks when we should be focused on doing our jobs and serving our constituents,” the lawmakers - led by Rep. Jared Golden - wrote in a letter, per The Hill.
“Perhaps this means some of our colleagues will miss out on lucrative investment opportunities. We don’t care. We came to Congress to serve our country, not turn a quick buck,” they continued.
The House members noted the Ban Conflicted Trading Act, which would prohibit members of Congress and their immediate family from trading stocks, and the TRUST in Congress Act, which blocks stock trading by lawmakers and their senior staffers, as bipartisan bills that would restore public trust in Congress.
“We understand that multiple bipartisan bills to ban members of Congress from owning or trading individual stocks have been introduced in the House. However, handwringing over which bill to advance should be no excuse for stalling a House floor vote on the issue,” the lawmakers wrote, adding that the difference between the proposals can be resolved through amendments.
Two Republicans - Matt Gaetz and Brian Fitzpatrick - along with 25 Democrats signed on to the letter.
