'You're all smirking out there': Bipartisan congressional group joins forces to ban trading stocks by their colleagues

"An unusual alliance emerged in the House on Wednesday as lawmakers who agree on little else rallied support for a bill that would prohibit members of Congress and their families from owning and trading individual stocks. The group included darlings of the far right, the left, moderates and many in between. They gathered to promote a ban that polls well with voters and appears to be finding new momentum after stalling out in previous sessions of Congress."

""It's not every day you see this cast of characters up here," said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a moderate Republican who represents a perennial swing district in Pennsylvania. "You're all smirking out there. That's a good thing. It speaks to the power of this cause." Congress has discussed proposals for years to keep lawmakers from engaging in trading individual stocks, nodding to the idea that there's a potential conflict of interest when they are often privy to information and decisions that can dramatically move markets."

"A Senate committee has approved legislation from GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri that would also extend the prohibition on stock trading to future presidents and vice presidents - while notably exempting Republican President Donald Trump. The House bill unveiled this week is limited to Congress, but the sponsors said they were open to extending it to the executive branch if enough support emerged."

Lawmakers from across the political spectrum rallied behind a bipartisan bill to ban members of Congress and their families from owning and trading individual stocks. The coalition includes far-right figures, progressives, moderates and others; sponsors said the proposal polls well and has regained momentum after earlier stalls. A Senate committee approved legislation from GOP Sen. Josh Hawley extending the prohibition to future presidents and vice presidents while exempting President Donald Trump. The House proposal is limited to Congress but sponsors signaled openness to extend restrictions to the executive branch if sufficient support emerges. The 2012 STOCK Act requires disclosure of stock trades, but public disclosure has not curbed active trading, leading sponsors to combine individual bills into a single bipartisan effort.

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