1. United States
2. Ore.
3. Letter

Senators Mark Kelly and Jon Ossoff recently reintroduced the Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act to prohibit members of Congress, their spouses, and senior staff from trading stocks or holding investments in securities, commodities, futures, cryptocurrencies or other similar investments while in office. This bipartisan legislation aims to prevent conflicts of interest and restore public trust by ensuring elected officials cannot personally profit from access to nonpublic information or privilege their own interests over those of their constituents. The bill mandates members and covered employees place prohibited investments in a qualified blind trust or divest them entirely within 120 days of the legislation's passage. Violators face substantial fines and the prospect of employment termination. By eliminating the potential for insider trading, self-dealing, and speculative financial activities, this Act upholds the principles of accountability and ethical conduct in government.