GOP Dissenters Threaten Speaker Johnson with Discharge Petitions Over Stock Trading Ban and Russia Sanctions

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is facing a growing internal revolt as a small group of Republican lawmakers prepares to use discharge petitions — a seldom-invoked procedural tool — to force two high-profile measures onto the House floor: a ban on individual stock trading by members of Congress and tougher sanctions on countries that enable Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Stock-trading ban

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) has announced plans to file a discharge petition to compel consideration of a bipartisan bill that would bar members of Congress, their spouses, dependent children and trustees from owning, buying or selling individual stocks. The bill, sponsored by Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.), had 101 co-sponsors as of late November, including 21 Republicans and supporters across ideological lines such as Reps. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.).

Johnson previously said he supports banning members from trading individual stocks to avoid the appearance of impropriety, while acknowledging concerns that congressional pay has not kept pace with inflation. Any effort by leadership to block a discharge petition on this measure could provoke backlash from restive members who view the petition as a way to bypass committee or leadership stalls. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called the petition ‘one of the only mechanisms’ for rank-and-file members to address insider-trading concerns.

Sanctions push and foreign-policy tensions

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) said he will file a discharge petition to force a vote on bipartisan legislation that would impose stringent sanctions on countries that materially support Russia’s war against Ukraine. The move comes amid debate over a reported 28-point peace plan associated with the Trump administration that some critics said appeared to favor Moscow; U.S. officials have emphasized the document was not final and could change.

Former President Trump reportedly supported a vote on the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, but Fitzpatrick’s decision reflects urgency among some House members for faster action. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has suggested the House should act first because the bill contains revenue provisions, while Johnson has argued it may be simpler and quicker for the Senate to take it up, where the legislation has broader bipartisan backing.

Other pressure points: discharge petitions and policy standoffs

Discharge petitions have become more feasible under the slim GOP majority, because only a handful of defections within the conference are needed to reach the 218-member threshold. Democrats are using the tool as well: Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) collected 218 signatures on a petition to restore collective bargaining rights for many federal employees, with several Republicans — including Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.), Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) and Fitzpatrick — signing on. Golden indicated House rules would allow him to call the bill for a vote as soon as Dec. 2.

Johnson also faces looming fights over government funding, the national defense authorization and health-care subsidies: former President Trump has said he would ‘rather not’ extend Affordable Care Act premium subsidies due to expire at year’s end, potentially setting up clashes with Democrats and centrist Republicans who had been negotiating a bipartisan two-year extension.

What’s at stake

The growing use of discharge petitions underscores a wider frustration among rank-and-file members about stalled legislation, committee roadblocks and leadership decisions. For Speaker Johnson, the challenge is balancing discipline within a narrow majority against the risk of alienating members who see petitions as a last resort to advance high-priority measures. As Rep. Don Bacon put it, ‘At some point, if you have a mass majority in the House to include Democrats … the will of the House will win.’

Sources quoted or referenced: Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, Chip Roy, Seth Magaziner, Brian Fitzpatrick, Jared Golden, Don Bacon, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, John Thune.