Democrats are split over a Republican-led discharge petition that would force a House vote on a bipartisan bill to forbid members of Congress and their families from trading individual stocks. Critics, led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, say any meaningful ban must also cover the executive branch, citing conflicts tied to former President Trump. The Roy–Magaziner bill has support from progressives and 37 House members have signed the petition so far (13 Republicans, 24 Democrats), but it needs 218 signatures to advance. Supporters argue Congress should act now even if extending the ban to the White House is politically difficult.
Democrats Split Over Push To Force Vote Banning Lawmaker Stock Trading — Fight Over Whether Ban Should Include the White House
Democrats divided over effort to force vote on banning lawmaker stock trading
Democrats are divided over a Republican-led discharge petition that would force a House vote on a bipartisan bill to ban members of Congress and their immediate families from trading individual stocks. The dispute centers on whether any congressional ban should be expanded to include the executive branch, a prospect many Democrats say is essential to meaningful reform.
What the Petition Would Do
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) filed the discharge petition earlier this month to pull a bipartisan bill to the floor. The measure, authored by Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.), would bar members of Congress, their spouses, dependent children and trustees from owning, buying or selling individual stocks.
Signatures, Support And Process
As of 4 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, 13 Republicans and 24 Democrats had signed the petition; a minimum of 218 signatures is required for it to succeed. Because a discharge petition is commonly viewed as a challenge to House leadership, its success would likely depend on broad Democratic participation.
Why Some Democrats Oppose It
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) publicly criticized the effort at a Tuesday news conference, saying any genuine anti-corruption measure should also apply to the executive branch. Jeffries argued the administration in the White House presents a greater potential conflict and urged Republicans to work with Democrats on a bipartisan solution that covers the president and other executive officials.
“If she’s interested in dealing with corruption, do something about the active ongoing crime scene coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.… The only open question about whether we’re going to move forward is whether Republicans have the will to partner with us in a bipartisan way.” — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries
Other Democrats, including House Administration Committee ranking member Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), have said they will not support the petition unless the ban also covers the president, vice president, Cabinet officials and judges. Morelle argued the president has more capacity to affect markets and cited past behavior as evidence of potential conflicts.
Supporters Say Congress Should Act
Supporters of the Roy–Magaziner bill — backed by progressives such as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) — say Congress should lead by example even if an executive-branch extension is politically difficult. Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), who signed the petition, said lawmakers should not let the challenge of extending a ban to the White House prevent Congress from addressing trading by members.
Rep. Seth Magaziner said discussions are ongoing: Roy has been negotiating with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Administration Chair Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) about advancing the bill through regular order, while Magaziner has worked to address Democratic concerns about executive-branch coverage. Magaziner added that Luna moved the discharge petition "a little sooner than we wanted."
Political Reality And Outlook
Extending a stock-trading ban to the executive branch is unlikely to advance in the GOP-controlled House or the Senate, making such an expansion politically difficult in the short term. Still, several Democrats — including Reps. John Larson (D-Conn.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) — said they will not let perfect be the enemy of progress and are willing to act on a congressional ban while continuing to push for broader ethics reform.
Media reports, including U.S. News & World Report, note that former President Donald Trump has held significant stakes in publicly traded companies such as Trump Media & Technology Group, Blue Owl Capital and Broadcom, which Democrats cite when arguing an executive-branch ban is necessary.
The House Administration Committee, led by Chair Bryan Steil, held hearings on congressional stock trading last month but did not produce a final proposal. The debate over the discharge petition and the scope of any ban is likely to continue as lawmakers weigh the political and ethical trade-offs of moving now versus holding out for a wider measure.
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