Congress Faces Delays on Stock Trading Ban Vote

​The Long Wait for Reform
Lawmakers are promising to take up a long-awaited stock trading ban for Congress once the government reopens — but there’s still no clear timeline for when, or even if, the vote will happen.

Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida said House Speaker Mike Johnson has pledged to move forward with the proposal “as soon as the government is reopened.” But rather than an immediate floor vote, the bill will go through committee markup, a slower and less certain process.

Luna called the move “a big win for America,” though critics worry it could bog the bill down in procedural delays.

From Pressure to Patience
Back in September, before the shutdown derailed momentum, Luna threatened to force a discharge petition — a procedural move that bypasses leadership and brings a bill straight to the floor. That deadline came and went.

Her office hasn’t said whether that option remains on the table. Still, public opinion is firmly behind reform: a University of Maryland poll found that 86% of Americans support banning members of Congress from trading stocks.

That support has only grown after reports revealed that several lawmakers — and their families — made hundreds of trades around the market turmoil triggered by President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs earlier this year.

The Restore Trust in Congress Act
The centerpiece of this push is the Restore Trust in Congress Act, a bipartisan proposal to prohibit lawmakers, their spouses, and dependent children from owning or trading individual stocks, securities, or commodities.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) and boasts rare cross-party backing. At its unveiling, lawmakers including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Tim Burchett — who rarely agree on much — appeared side by side and even shared a fist bump in support of the legislation.

Growing Momentum, Lingering Doubts
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Speaker Mike Johnson have both said they support a ban in principle, but Johnson has declined to make it a top priority. “It’s a tough issue,” he said, hinting at ongoing resistance within both parties.

With Congress set to return once the shutdown ends, advocates hope this latest round of promises finally leads to a vote. But given how many “deadlines” have already slipped, few on Capitol Hill are holding their breath.

​For now, the message from reformers is simple: stop trading, start legislating.