Shaheen, Colleagues Introduce Congressional Stock Trading Ban

(Washington, DC) - U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) joined U.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in introducing the Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act, which would require all members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children to place their stocks into a qualified blind trust or divest the holding—ensuring they cannot use inside information to influence stock trades and make a profit.

“Members of Congress are elected to serve their constituents—not themselves,” said Senator Shaheen. “This common-sense legislation would prevent members of Congress from using their office to enrich themselves and would go a long way in winning back the American people’s trust and confidence in government.”

The American people overwhelmingly support this policy, with 86% saying they back the measure, including 88% of Democrats, 87% of Republicans and 81% of Independents.

In addition to Shaheen, Kelly and Ossoff, the bill is also co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO).

Click here to read the Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act.

Shaheen has long been an advocate for government reform and congressional integrity. In April, Shaheen unveiled new legislation that would prevent companies owned or controlled by Special Government Employee (SGE)’s from raking in federal dollars in government contracts and grant payments and prevent the clear conflicts of interests this arrangement could pose. Earlier this year, she reintroduced her Democracy for All Amendment would overturn the Supreme Court's disastrous Citizens United v. FEC decision and other far-reaching decisions around campaign finance that wrongfully equated money with free speech and unfairly determined that big, wealthy corporations have the same First Amendment rights as people. 

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