Congress must ban stock trading by lawmakers now. The ETHICS Act, advancing in the Senate, and the TRUST in Congress Act, reintroduced in 2025, aim to stop members, their spouses, and kids from trading individual stocks, mandating divestiture or blind trusts. The STOCK Act’s weak enforcement—fines as low as $200—has failed to curb insider trading, with 54 lawmakers and staffers violating it in 2021 alone. Public trust is eroding; 86% of Americans, across party lines, demand a ban. Lawmakers’ access to non-public info creates glaring conflicts of interest, yet some resist, claiming bans deter candidates or limit freedom. High-profile cases, like Rep. Bresnahan’s $4.7M in trades, expose the hypocrisy. Biden backed a ban, and Trump’s stance could sway progress. Congress must act decisively to restore integrity, end profiteering, and prioritize the public over personal gain. Time’s up for excuses.
