In recent years, there has been a growing call in the U.S. Congress for legislation to restrict stock trading by lawmakers, primarily stemming from public concerns about lawmakers profiting from insider information.

The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act, passed in 2012, requires lawmakers to disclose trading information and prohibits trading based on non-public information. However, the penalty is only $200, and the oversight is lax, leading to frequent violations.

Since 2022, several new proposals have emerged: for example, a bill proposed by Democratic representatives to combat financial conflicts of interest in government, which prohibits lawmakers and their families from holding stocks and cryptocurrencies, raises fines to $1,000, and requires electronic disclosure of assets.

The bipartisan "End Congressional Stock Trading and Holding Act" (ETHICS), introduced in 2024, is even stricter, prohibiting lawmakers, their spouses, and children from trading stocks. Violators will face a penalty of 10% of the investment value and are required to transfer assets into a blind trust. Additionally, some proposals prohibit holding individual stocks, allowing only investments in mutual funds or government bonds. Controversial issues include whether transactions by relatives are restricted, regulatory loopholes in blind trusts, and whether the penalties are sufficient. The Pelosi couple faced public pressure due to their precise trading in tech stocks, prompting Democrats to accelerate the legislative process. Polls show that over 80% of the public supports the ban, highlighting widespread concern about the crisis of trust in Congress.