1. United States
2. Tenn.
3. Letter

Ban congressional stock trading. Members of Congress who trade individual stocks while writing laws that move markets are profiting from the same power voters gave them to serve the public. That is a conflict of interest, plain and simple. Lawmakers have access to classified briefings, closed-door negotiations, and advance knowledge of legislation. No private citizen gets that edge. When members trade on that information, or even appear to, public trust in government collapses. Studies have shown congressional stock portfolios consistently outperform the market, and that is not a coincidence. Pass a clean ban on individual stock trading for all members of Congress and their immediate family members. Blind trusts and index funds are a workable alternative. This is one of the few issues where voters across the political spectrum agree, and the failure to act is a choice to protect personal financial gain over the public interest.