On Wednesday, July 23rd, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill aimed at banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks. The legislation, known as the Stop Insider Trading Act and championed by House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, passed by a vote of 232-198, with all Republicans and thirteen Democrats voting in favor.

The bill prohibits members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from buying new stocks but permits them to retain and trade stocks they already own. "This is the first congressional stock trading ban to receive a vote on the floor of the House," Steil said during the debate.

However, the bill has faced criticism from some Democrats. Administration Committee ranking Democrat Joe Morelle of New York called it a "sham" because it "allows members of Congress to continue owning and trading stocks." Critics also noted that the bill does not extend to the president and vice president, who can continue stock trading.

The legislation was combined with a provision mandating photo identification for voters as a condition for casting a ballot, a move that drew opposition from other Democrats. This provision is part of ongoing efforts by former President Donald Trump and Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act, which Democrats argue could disenfranchise some voters.

President Trump's recent financial disclosures revealed that his investment advisers conducted over 21,000 trades on his behalf last year, many involving companies regulated by or doing business with his administration.

Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez, a Democrat from New Mexico, was noted for wearing a "Release the Files" badge during a Democratic Women's Caucus event related to survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring ahead of the State of the Union address.

The bill's passage marks a significant step in congressional ethics reform, though debates continue over its scope and effectiveness.

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