View this post on the web at [link removed]
When crises hit, guess who gets rich?
We all remember March of 2020 — how could we forget? The world was shutting down, and Americans were worried about masks, jobs, and whether there’d be food and toilet paper on the shelves. Behind closed doors, members of Congress were getting classified briefings about COVID. And what happened next? Some of them started quietly dumping hotel and airline stocks and snapping up shares in telework and pharma companies — days before the markets crashed.
Fast-forward five years to a different crisis. During the Trump administration’s chaotic tariff rollout — a 55-day period of economic whiplash — members of Congress made over 2,200 stock trades worth up to $140 million, according to a report [ [link removed] ] by our strategic partner, Campaign Legal Center [ [link removed] ]. These don’t appear to be just random moves. Many trades involved companies directly affected by tariffs lawmakers were debating: Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia, BNP Paribas, Goldman Sachs.
Think about that: While small businesses were bracing for price spikes and families were trying to stretch their grocery budgets, lawmakers were betting on the stock market — and betting big.
Thank you for supporting our work! All $ received through paid subscriptions goes toward solutions to make democracy stronger.
Not just “Insider Trading”… something worse
Here’s what might shock most Americans: most of this is currently legal. Why? Because members of Congress aren’t considered federal employees. Federal workers are banned from participating in matters that affect a company they own stock in. But members of Congress are free to trade, with only narrow restrictions.
The only real rule is: don’t trade on “insider information.” In reality, it’s almost impossible to enforce. How do you prove what someone knew and why they bought a stock? After years of investigations, most lawmakers accused of shady trading walk away untouched.
A bipartisan problem, a bipartisan solution
This isn’t a problem for just Republicans or Democrats. CLC’s analysis found that lawmakers from both parties were active during the tariff chaos. Of the 53 members who traded, the split between Democrats and Republicans was nearly even.
And the public is fed up. Even at this deeply polarizing time, 86% of Americans — across party lines — support banning congressional stock trading. That’s as close to a mandate as democracy gets.
Why this matters
As a society, we can’t afford to lose any more trust in our institutions. Because when trust collapses, democracy weakens. Without a fix, people lose (if they haven’t already lost) faith that government serves them — not the powerful few who can profit from insider knowledge without consequence.
Transparency alone hasn’t worked. The STOCK Act, passed in 2012, made trades public — but disclosure doesn’t stop corruption; it just timestamps it. If we want to restore integrity, we need more than sunlight. We need a ban.
There’s a solution gaining traction
The good news is there’s already a bipartisan solution on the table. The HONEST Act , which just passed out of a Senate committee by a bipartisan vote, would ban lawmakers from buying or selling stocks while in office.
Passing this law sends a powerful message: Congress works for the public — not their portfolios.
Take Action Today
Public service isn’t a stock tip. It’s a public trust. Bright America is proud to stand with CLC and thousands of Americans calling for this reform. The question isn’t whether Congress can fix this, it’s whether we demand it.
✔ Add your voice: Tell your lawmakers to pass a ban.
“Hello, my name is [Your Name], I’m a constituent living in [City]. I’m calling/writing to strongly encourage [Rep/Senator [Name]] to support legislation banning congressional stock trading. Thank you.”
Unsubscribe [link removed]?
