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Stock Trading by Members of Congress

Congressional Stock TradingAn increasing number of Democrats and Republicans support banning Members of Congress from trading stock. Nevertheless, significant disagreements remain on crucial details. For example, some propose requiring members of Congress to place the stocks that they own in blind trusts. Others propose that members of Congress should not be permitted to own stocks at all. Other significant disagreements remain around how far the limits should extend within Senators’ and Representatives’ families and staff. For example, agreement has not been reached on whether a stock ban should include spouses and children. Few believe these disagreements are likely to be resolved in a year when we have congressional elections.