A bill with a name that hits the target…
Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is making headlines again for reintroducing a bill that takes a swing at the political elite’s favorite pastime — playing the stock market with privileged information. The bill’s name? The PELOSI Act.
No, that’s not a coincidence.
The full name — Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments — is a not-so-subtle reference to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose prolific stock market success while in office has raised more than a few eyebrows. Pelosi and her husband have continued to reap major financial gains during her time in Congress, all while conveniently avoiding legal scrutiny.
What the PELOSI Act Would Do
The bill would ban lawmakers and their spouses from owning or trading individual stocks — a direct move to sever the cozy backchannel between congressional votes and personal portfolios. Under the legislation, members of Congress would have 180 days to divest from individual holdings. Failure to comply? They could be forced to forfeit any profits directly to the U.S. Treasury, according to the official announcement from Hawley’s office:
“Members of Congress should be fighting for the people they were elected to serve—not day trading at the expense of their constituents,” stated Senator Hawley. “Americans have seen politician after politician turn a profit using information not available to the general public. It’s time we ban all members of Congress from trading and holding stocks and restore Americans’ trust in our nation’s legislative body.”
Members who refuse to comply with the PELOSI Act must forfeit any stock profits to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and face monetary penalties imposed by the House and Senate ethics committees.
That marks a sharp departure from the weak enforcement of the 2012 STOCK Act. The law, a bipartisan compromise, was described by The New York Times as being filled with legal ambiguities. It has failed to prevent lawmakers from using the copious amounts of insider information available exclusively to them to grow their personal wealth:
For all of the Democratic Party’s talk about restoring public faith in government, its leaders in the House have been, until recently, resistant to talk of a trading ban for members. “We are a free-market economy,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in December. “They should be able to participate in that.”
The majority leader, Steny Hoyer, has been similarly weak, suggesting that a ban is unnecessary. While Mr. Hoyer owns no stock, he has said that “members ought not to be in a different situation that they would otherwise be if they weren’t members of Congress.”
This rationale does not pass the sniff test. Members of Congress have access to a steady stream of information that regular Americans do not. They already exist in a different, more privileged situation.
Bipartisan Frustration, Growing Support
While the original 2023 version of the bill was stonewalled under the Biden administration, momentum is now building across the aisle. With 72% of Americans supporting a ban on stock trading for members of Congress and their live-in families — according to a 2024 University of Maryland poll — the issue clearly transcends partisan politics.
Voters — on the right, left and in the middle — are fed up. They’re tired of politicians profiting while everyday Americans struggle with inflation, job uncertainty and a shaky economy. The idea that elected officials can trade stocks based on information the public doesn’t have? That’s not just unethical — it’s corrosive.
Why It Matters
Hawley’s move with the PELOSI Act signals that some lawmakers are finally listening. It also shines a light on the very real conflict of interest baked into our system. When politicians are allowed to trade stocks, it’s no longer about public service. It’s about personal gain.
And it’s about time someone did something about it.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
READ NEXT: Inside The Secretive Loophole Fueling Massive Government Waste
Snowball’s chance in hell passing.
So when are these crooks going to be held accountable for the crime of insider trading.
Well isn’t this lovely…OMG Inside trading should be labeled as treason!!!! Pelosi and her ilk need to return ALL profits they made. My heart is heavy with sadness as I look at these scoundrels who claim to be “For the people”. May the lord Jesus Christ be in fair judgment for their actions.
Absolutely the right thing to do, Senator Hawley! What is good for the goose is good for the gander!!!
This must include family, friends and associates as well. The Biden crime syndicate and their shell companies showed us that this is imperative to add to the bill.
They can put their holdings in a blind trust – if that would keep them unaware. Some are crooked enough to circumvent that. I trust VERY few of these corrupt Congressmen. They should be investigated for landslide incomes.