#CongressTradingBan
House Democrats are still honing a message for next year’s midterms, but they appear to have found an early cudgel as they gear up to battle Republicans for the majority: congressional stock trading.
The market turmoil surrounding President Donald Trump’s tariffs has supercharged Democratic attacks on politicians’ investment activity, with top lawmakers calling for investigations of White House officials and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries embracing a ban on trading of individual stocks.
Their attacks crystallized this week after public disclosures revealed that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) had purchased stocks during a tariff-induced dip in the market earlier this month. Those securities quickly rose in value after Trump announced a partial reversal of his tariff plans.
More trading disclosures are expected in the coming weeks; members have 45 days to reveal most stock transactions under congressional rules. And while it’s unlikely that the trading was limited to Republicans, Democrats are discarding their past qualms and preparing to hammer GOP leaders on the issue.
“I would say if the Republicans want to insulate themselves from a political fallout of this issue, then the best thing that they could do is bring the bill to the floor before and let us have a vote,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.), the co-author of a bill that would ban member trading of individual stocks. “They have total control of government. The ball is in their court.”
He added that if Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune “do not allow this to come to the floor for an up-or-down vote, then they own that decision, and they will certainly pay for it in the midterms.”
