Legislative Efforts to Stop Conflicts of Interest
Recent Action in Congress on Congressional Stock Trading
In recent years, some members of Congress have proposed reforms that would prohibit the purchase, sale or ownership of certain financial assets by federal officials and employees. Increased attention on the issue of congressional stock trading since 2017 has led to the introduction of legislation that seeks to limit the financial activities of members of Congress as a potential means to address real or perceived conflicts of interest. In the 115th Congress (2017-2018), three pieces of legislation were introduced that sought to increase disclosure reporting requirements or prohibit the purchase or sale of investments. In the 116th Congress (2019-2020), five…
