John,

Members of Congress have access to non-public information and the ability to influence policy, giving them a real advantage in the stock market over the rest of us.

Trading stocks while in Congress seems to be pretty profitable — one analysis of trades between 2004 and 2010 found that politicians beat the market by 20%.

It’s disturbing to think that elected officials could be putting their personal bottom lines over the best interest of the country. In order to avoid questions about stock trading and potential conflicts, disclosure is not enough: members of Congress should not be buying and trading stocks while in office at all.

The new ETHICS Act will help stop corruption in Washington by preventing members of Congress from holding individual stocks, restoring trust in our leaders and our democracy. We were proud to join the senators’ announcement of the introduction of this bill this week, and will continue to push for this reform until it is signed into law.
 

 

Congressional stock trading is deeply corrupt. We elect our leaders to serve the public, not their portfolios. We need more accountability and transparency to prevent members from abusing their positions for personal gain.

The ETHICS Act would prohibit Members of Congress and their direct family members from trading and holding stocks, and in turn would help build trust between Congress and the millions of Americans that their elected leaders are acting for their, not their bank accounts. People need to know that their elected leaders are putting their constituents’ interests — not their own financial interests — first.

Sign our petition today and urge the Senate to pass the ETHICS Act immediately →

Thanks,

Team CREW