House to vote on stock trading ban for Congress but doubts remain on passage
While many believe America is as divided as ever, there is one policy change that almost every American agrees with — banning Congress from trading stocks. A 2023 survey from the University of Maryland found that 86% of the country supports banning lawmakers from owning and trading stocks.
Despite overwhelming bipartisan support, Congress has never passed a bill that bans members of Congress from trading stocks. The closest they got was in 2012, when former President Barack Obama signed the STOCK Act into law. The law banned Congress from using nonpublic information from their position for personal benefit.
But now, that’s changed. On Thursday, House Republicans committed to holding a vote next year on a newly proposed stock-buying ban.
How much does Congress make from stock trading?
According to the watchdog group Common Cause, members of Congress made more than $635 million from trading stocks in 2025. The group said 202 representatives and 56 senators own stock.
Unlike most things in Washington, congressional stock trading is a bipartisan endeavor, with members of both parties trading. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., traded the most by volume in 2025, according to Common Cause.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is often considered one of the most prolific congressional stock traders. Her trading is so widely followed that users of stock trading forums have even copied her trades and made money.
“By following Pelosi’s stock buying strategy, I was able to make money,” one Reddit user wrote. “[My portfolio] rose by 71% within six months.”
Other groups that track congressional stock trading list Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, with the largest amount of stock trading in the past three years. According to Capitol Trades, McCaul reported $549.74 million in volume over the last three years, the most of any member of Congress.
What is proposed in the stock trading ban?
On Thursday, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said lawmakers have worked for months on a bill to ban legislators from buying or owning stocks. House Democrats introduced a similar proposal a day earlier, which would also include presidents and vice presidents and their immediate families.
However, the Democrats’ proposal could put the entire idea at risk, since many Republicans who support trading bans in Congress don’t support those bans for President Donald Trump.
“This would just address Congress,” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said, according to CNBC.
Who supports the ban?
In early December, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., began a discharge petition to force a vote on a stock trading ban. As of Friday, the petition had 74 signatures from lawmakers on both sides.
While the petition doesn’t pertain to the new Republican stock trading ban proposal, it does show which lawmakers support the idea.
Trump has also offered his support for a stock trading ban for Congress. When asked if he would be okay with the ban, he said he would after seeing politicians make money from the market.
“Well, I watched Nancy Pelosi get rich through insider information, and I would be okay with it,” he said. “If they send that to me, I would do it.”
However, in July, Trump criticized Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., after he voted with Democrats to advance a bill banning stock trading for elected officials. Hawley said this was a misunderstanding and emphasized Trump’s desire to get a stock trading ban.
What are the arguments against a ban?
Some members of Congress have spoken out against a potential ban on stock trading. In 2021, Pelosi, then House speaker, said Congress should be able to trade stocks just like everyone else.
“This is a free market and people — we are a free market economy. They should be able to participate in that,” she said.
Since then, she has come out in support of stronger ethics rules on stock trading in Congress if they also apply to the president and vice president.
Could a congressional stock trading ban pass?
While it’s impossible to say if a trading ban would pass Congress, it does appear that interest in the idea has hit a peak. Given the rarity of bipartisanship in Congress, the proposal’s strong support across both parties is reassuring for those hoping for a ban.
Lawmakers did not announce when they expect a vote on the Republican stock trading ban proposal. However, Luna said it could be as early as next month.
“We will be getting a vote on the floor sometime in January,” she said. ”No more insider trading.”
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
