Members of Congress are one step closer to having more restrictions against trading stocks while in office.
The “Stop Insider Trading Act” passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday in a 232-198 vote, with 13 Democrats voting in favor of the legislation.
However, a proposal was also thrown into the bill to mandate voter identification in federal elections.
232-198: House passed legislation bans members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children from buying new stocks from publicly traded companies while in office but can keep stocks they already own. The Stop Insider Trading Act, which also requires voters to show a photo ID… pic.twitter.com/DvD2xm5LUD
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) July 22, 2026
On the stock trading component on the bill, it would also prohibit children claimed as dependents and spouses of members from purchasing stocks, but they are allowed to hold onto their current investments, according to CSPAN.
“For too long, Americans struggling to make ends meet have watched as lawmakers have entered office just to leave as multi-millionaires,” Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement after the bill’s passage.
“This type of behavior is unacceptable and diminishes the American people’s trust in this institution. Today, with passage of the Stop Insider Trading Act, House Republicans took a critically important step to restore that faith and trust in both Congress and American elections,” he continued, adding that it “helps prevent public officials from profiting from inside information.”
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Some Democrats criticized the decision to include a voter identification provision in the proposal.
“Republicans' sham "insider trading" bill will not stop insider trading,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) posted to X. “Instead, it Trojan-horses the SAVE America Act into a cover-up bill riddled with loopholes and backdoors that let lawmakers keep profiting from stock trades.”
Republicans' sham "insider trading" bill will not stop insider trading.
— Rep. Jared Huffman (@RepHuffman) July 22, 2026
Instead, it Trojan-horses the SAVE America Act into a cover-up bill riddled with loopholes and backdoors that let lawmakers keep profiting from stock trades.
If Mike Johnson is serious about banning… pic.twitter.com/ywUOt6PTAP
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