A growing bipartisan movement in Congress is pushing to ban elected officials from trading individual stocks, following repeated scandals involving suspiciously timed transactions. The proposed restriction—dubbed the "ETHICS Act"—would prohibit all senators, representatives, and their immediate family members from buying or selling stocks, bonds, and cryptocurrencies while in office, requiring assets to be held in blind trusts instead.
The push comes after investigations revealed multiple lawmakers made lucrative trades after receiving classified briefings on COVID-19, national security threats, and economic policies. Notably, some politicians outperformed the S&P 500 by 20-30% annually—a statistical improbability without insider advantages.
Proponents argue the ban would:
• Eliminate conflicts of interest in policymaking
• Restore public trust (82% of Americans support restrictions in recent polls)
• Prevent exploitation of non-public information
Opponents, including some senior legislators with extensive portfolios, claim the ban infringes on personal freedoms. However, with midterm elections approaching and "stock-tracking" activists monitoring every transaction, the political cost of resistance is rising.
If passed, the law would mark the most significant congressional ethics reform in decades—though enforcement mechanisms remain debated.
