Ban Members of Congress from Trading Individual Stocks
Members of Congress enjoy access to sensitive, non-public information that ordinary Americans simply don't have — details about upcoming legislation, regulatory decisions, and national security matters. When elected officials use that privileged position to trade individual stocks, it creates a serious risk of corruption, self-dealing, and conflicts of interest that undermine public trust in government. Watchdog groups and citizens across the political spectrum have sounded the alarm on this issue for years, yet meaningful reform has been repeatedly stalled by congressional leadership.
Now, bipartisan coalitions in both chambers are pushing forward with concrete solutions. In the House, H.R. 5106 — the Restore Trust in Congress Act — would prohibit members of Congress, along with their spouses and dependent children, from owning or trading individual stocks while in office. Critics note, however, that the bill does not currently extend these restrictions to executive branch officials like the President, Vice President, or Cabinet members. In the Senate, the HONEST Act (S. 1498) passed out of the Homeland Security & Government Affairs Committee with bipartisan support and would ban stock trading by members of Congress as well as the President and Vice President — though it includes a controversial carve-out shielding current officeholders from the new rules until their next term begins.
Both bills represent real progress, but both have meaningful gaps that advocates say must be closed. The public deserves elected officials who are working for their constituents — not their own portfolios. Urge your representatives to support strong, loophole-free stock trading reform that applies equally to all elected officials and their families.
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Live Call Script
Hello, I am an assistant calling on behalf of a constituent, {{first_name}} {{last_name}} from {{city}}, {{state}} zip code {{zip_code}}. The constituent is calling today to urge {{representative_name}} to support legislation banning members of Congress and their families from trading individual stocks while in office. The potential for corruption and self-dealing is simply too great when elected officials have access to privileged, non-public information. The constituent would like to see {{representative_name}} support H.R. 5106, the Restore Trust in Congress Act, with an amendment to extend the ban to executive branch officials including the President, Vice President, and Cabinet members. If {{representative_name}} is in the Senate, the constituent asks for support of S. 1498, the HONEST Act, but with the carve-out for current officeholders removed so the rules apply fairly to everyone. Our elected officials should be working for constituents — not profiting off information the rest of us don't have access to. We hope {{representative_name}} will take a strong stand for transparency and public trust.
Voicemail Version
I am calling on behalf of {{first_name}} {{last_name}}, a constituent from {{city}}, {{state}} {{zip_code}}. This message is to urge {{representative_name}} to support a strong ban on elected officials trading individual stocks. Please support H.R. 5106 or S. 1498, and ensure any final bill closes loopholes that protect current officeholders or exclude executive branch officials. The public's trust depends on it. You may contact me at {{phone_number}} to discuss further.