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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is the latest to call for a ban on congressional stock trading as critics say lawmakers have access to insider information that unfairly allows them to profit in the stock market.
Members of Congress are already banned from insider trading, but critics say the law in place lacks teeth for violations and is not strict enough on reporting requirements. Lawmakers regularly miss deadlines for reporting and face minimal punishments.
“People shouldn’t come to Washington to get rich, they should come to serve the American people, and it brings down trust in the system because I can tell you that if any private citizen traded this way, the (Securities and Exchange Commission) would be knocking on their door,” Bessent said.
Pelosi has been under intense scrutiny for years over the returns on her reported trades, which she and her office have repeatedly said are all managed by her husband and not the former House speaker. Wyden has backed a stock trading ban and accused Bessent of trying to distract from the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.
date: 2025-08-16 08:25:00