It’s Time to Ban Stock Trading in Congress

The American people are right to be angry. They work hard, pay their taxes, struggle with inflation, and watch the price of groceries, housing, utilities, and insurance continue to climb. Meanwhile, too many politicians arrive in Washington and somehow leave far wealthier than when they entered.

That is not public service. It is an abuse of public trust.

I did not come to Congress to get rich. I did not walk through the doors of the Capitol with a massive personal fortune or a family stock portfolio worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Since taking office, I have not completed a single stock trade. Not one.

My financial focus is not on finding the next stock to buy. I have focused on delivering results for the people of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District because that’s what public service is about.

That is why I voted for H.R. 7008, the bipartisan Stop Insider Trading Act. This legislation prohibits members of Congress, their spouses, and their dependent children from purchasing individual stocks while the member is in office. It also requires advance public notice before covered stocks are sold and establishes penalties for violations.

The reason this legislation is necessary should be obvious.

Members of Congress routinely receive classified briefings, meet privately with senior government officials, oversee federal agencies, and learn about legislation and regulations that can move markets. We are given that information to serve the country, not to make a quick buck.

Americans should never have to wonder whether their representative voted for a bill because it was good for the country or because it might increase the value of a personal investment, but they do for good reason.

In 2025 alone, members of Congress reportedly made more than 13,000 trades totaling more than $635 million. Over the past year, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s household reportedly disclosed approximately $52.5 million in trades across 21 transactions.

Pelosi denies involvement in her husband’s investment decisions, but that does not erase the larger problem. When the household of one of the most powerful lawmakers in American history moves tens of millions of dollars through the stock market, the American people have every right to demand answers and stronger safeguards.

This issue is bigger than any one member or any one political party. There is a long list of lawmakers whose wealth has increased dramatically during their time in office. Some congressional households have reported returns that would make professional hedge fund managers jealous.

Maybe every trade was legal. Maybe every transaction can be explained. But the appearance of corruption is itself corrosive. It tells Americans that Washington has one set of rules for the politically connected and another for everyone else.

If a corporate executive traded using confidential information, federal investigators would take notice. If an ordinary American failed to follow securities laws, ignorance would not be accepted as an excuse. Members of Congress should not receive special treatment simply because they write the laws.

If members want to spend their days buying and selling individual stocks, they should resign from Congress and go work on Wall Street.

Some of my colleagues may not like hearing that. I do not care. I was not elected to protect the comfort, portfolios, or reputations of Washington politicians. I was elected to represent Arizona and hold the federal government accountable, even when that means confronting members of my own institution.

One of my constituents recently thanked me for voting for the Stop Insider Trading Act, saying that instead of focusing on my own portfolio, I chose to invest in the people of my district. That is exactly right.

My investment is in securing our border, supporting law enforcement, protecting veterans, lowering costs for working families, strengthening our military, and expanding opportunity throughout Arizona.

The House took an important step by passing the Stop Insider Trading Act. Now the Senate must act and send it to President Trump’s desk.

Congress is not a casino. A congressional office is not a trading desk. Classified briefings are not investment tips.

The American people are tired of politicians getting richer while they get squeezed. I have made zero stock trades since taking office because I did not come to Washington to invest in myself. Wouldn’t it be nice if more politicians had a similar mindset?

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